


The Legend of Zelda: The Book of Fate

by ScribbledInCrayon



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cameos, Canon-Typical Violence, Chapter Length Will Vary, Cojiro vs Link, F/M, Falls Into The Middle Timeline Given By Nintendo, Group Of Heroes Take On The Big Bad, Humor, Malon Teases Link, Mentions Of Twilight Princess And Ocarina Of Time, Original Character Death(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sheik Is A Guy, Sheik is his own person, Slow Build, Work In Progress, Zelda May Not Be Sheik But She's Still A BAMF, slightly dark themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-19 08:09:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 85,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4739057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribbledInCrayon/pseuds/ScribbledInCrayon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The fate of The Hero of Time and that of the lands of Hyrule are forever bound as one.  When evil rises, good too must rise to thwart it.  Hyrule is always changing.  Each rise of evil bringing about a new era, a new hero, a new story.  The lands shift, the people in it change as well, and in the case of the Seers - They are made to leave the land, their home, behind.  </p><p>Cast out to protect both themselves and the power they wield, they have lived in a world opposite of Hyrule, ever watching and recording the battles that have come to pass.  Their secret has been guarded, protected from evil.  But as evil rises again, the secret is discovered, and Ganon turns his sights to the last of their kind. </p><p>The journey ahead will be perilous, the danger no longer a fairy tale for our young Seer.  Given a gift she has no idea how to use, she must rely on the aid offered by others; the newly reborn Hero of Time, a Zora Scout Guard, a trained blade seeking redemption for his people, a Goron of great strength, and an enigmatic lost child of the forest. For without their aid, she will fall, and both Hyrule and the world she has always known to be her home - Will perish.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tell Me A Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big heads up here to fellow Zelda fans, this story is VERY AU, in the fact that it creates an entirely new tale outside of those we all know and love. There will be mention though of some of the stories already known, but nothing in major detail or anything like that. If anyone is all time line happy with it, this mentions only the middle time line given by the big bad(as in good) Nintendo people. Mainly because it makes my attempt at writing this that much easier. 
> 
> Not that it wouldn't be obvious, but I'll add in the lovely fact that I do no not own The Legend of Zelda in any capacity short of buying the games and being an avid player of them since I was a kid. Apart from the idea for my story, and my OC's in it, I own nothing and Nintendo owns all... So I make no money in doing any of this, and I wouldn't try to either. 
> 
> P.S. Reviews, questions, comments, etc; are always welcome! ^_^

Tossing and turning, he was trapped in his nightmare, watching as darkness engulfed the land. At first it had creeped its way in slowly, mindful of the possibilities of being detected too early. But like any other sickness when it had begun to spread, it did so at an alarming rate. Trees of old would wither and die as the soil itself turned to blackened ash. The water that flowed eternal and clear, now held fish made of rotting bone that sought to feed on those who still had warm flesh. The smoke that billowed out from the crater, natural and meant to be that way, now glowed with an eerie yellow-green light. All the world was being plunged into chaos, and as he watched on in his fitful rest, he knew the sounds of footfalls he heard were just as much a warning as the sights he could see. Turning his head, he regarded the vision of the man who had brought such darkness with him. With a blood red tint to his hair, the darkened olive of his skin, and the sickly yellow of his beady eyes; his armor, was so black he near blended in with the darkness around him save for the golden glow of a book within his right hand. The man lifted his left hand, calling forth a purple light indicative of dark magic that began to swirl around it lazily as if he were bored. Building it to a tremendously terrifying peak, he finally cast his spell - and the Seer was forced to watch fate play out in front of him.

 

Resisting the urge to awaken, knowing that there had to be more to all of what he'd seen than just his own demise, he forced his resting mind to focus. When it did, he near wished it had not. What he saw happening next had his eyes opening wide in shock, as he immediately clutched a shaking hand to his chest. The destruction, the chaos, the death that spread out as far as the eye could see; it had been too much, and his eyes had blinked open upon hearing the dark chuckle that man had let out at making the world around him burn. He laid there in his bed for a few moments, taking in sharp breaths of air, and trying to calm himself enough to regulate his own heart beat back down to a normal pace. Looking into the darkness of his room, and glancing through the large glass doors that lead to his balcony, he knew it was still late in the night. But as his mind finally kicked in, fear abating, he knew it was not too late for him to find a way to stop that man. So he rose from his bed, slowly as his old age did not accommodate him to be swift on his feet anymore, and put on his thickened robe.

 

Quietly he moved throughout the old estate, pausing only once to be certain his granddaughter had not also awoken. Seeing her still sleeping sound as a babe, he smiled sadly at her through the crack in her door before closing it and moving on. Knowing he had nothing to worry of, here at least, he made his way to the study downstairs seeking out a book. Hard of sight, more so now in the darkness of his home, he thumbed the spines of the books along the shelves until he touched to a symbol he knew so well it would never leave his thoughts. Pulling at the books spine, he heard the passageway open as the bookshelves parted and the candles mounted to the old stone walls automatically lit to safely guide him down his chosen path.

 

His refuge throughout his life had been below their family estate, a secret room that he had discovered as a child. One that had held within it so much of their own family history, and now that he realized the full impact of it all – it was also one that sadly his granddaughter had yet to learn of. He had been such a fool, truly he had. For instead of showing her the truth of their families bloodline, he had catered to allowing her to think of it all as little more than wild fairy tales. Perhaps it was because she stopped asking for his stories not long after her parents had departed this world. Or perhaps it was his own thoughts that in doing so she would be made safe should the worst come to pass. Now though, as he wandered down the narrow stone stairwell, he knew he could no longer dally in excuses. He had a job to do, a wrong to make right, and as he neared the end of his trip to look up and see the old mirror still covered in a silky blue swathe of cloth – His eyes honed in on the triangular symbol depicted upon it, only for his resolve to harden further. This tale would not end as it did in his vision, and he would be sure of it, no matter the cost.

 

Slowly, he trudged over to it. For the first time in all his long lived life, ignoring the artifacts and tomes strewn about within his sacred haven, he dared to reach for the fabric that hid its reflective surface from view. Glancing up at the old calendar clock, he knew his time was short; two, maybe three days at best. So, when the last step was taken, he pulled free the cloth and beckoned for the destiny that awaited him. Only to see nothing happen short of his own reflection blinking back at him in distress. Trying again, and twice more to be certain, he glowered as he belatedly realized he'd gotten it wrong. Shouting out his annoyance at the old magic within the mirror, he moved quicker now than even he thought possible at his age. Rummaging through his desk, clattering books, and a few thankfully resilient nick-knacks, from its surface to the ground at his feet - He searched for one tome in particular that he knew would hold the answer to his predicament.

 

Careful with the more ancient of the items gathered within the small room, he was less so with the tomes, up until he finally uncovered the ornate chest he'd been seeking in the massive piles of books that had been left to sit wherever he happened to place them at the time. Gently huffing out a ghost of a sigh, he reached for its locking mechanism, pressing in the triangles as the books he had read growing up taught him to. When it opened, he smiled warmly at the treasures within. Each tome was written with the utmost truth of things within, and each one was a recorded history of the world their family had been forced to leave behind. Regardless, the stories within them were the kind that would once delight his granddaughter, ones that he had been certain she knew and heard often as a child. Her eyes would widen with joy, tear up with sorrow, and hide beneath the covers during the scary bits. But through it all, she had grown to love them. Chuckling softly at the memories, he gently moved them aside, reaching for one book in particular amongst the others. Bound in brown leather, its spine cracked just as his own back did when he finally unhunched himself from over the lid of the chest.

 

Rising with the book in hand, he reached over to shut the lid before taking what he'd searched for over to the mirror. Ruffling his brows in irritation while he slowly lowered himself to the floor, he did his best not to grumble at the further creaking in his tired old limbs as he adjusted his posture accordingly with the book in his lap. Flipping through the pages, careful not to harm their contents, he found what he needed. With scanning gray eyes, and a scratch at his silver beard, he placed the book beside him on the floor. Muttering out the speech of his elders, he lulled himself into a trance, the words soon coming out more soundly until the air around him grew warm. He could feel it in the air, the warmth was of the natural flow of magic, the kind that even at his own age was hard to claim to be a master of. It was inviting, and soft, lacking of the chaos he'd felt in his fitful rest; and somehow he knew that he had done what he needed to.

 

When he opened his eyes to look at the mirror, within its pristine glass the reflection began to warp and change until he no longer saw himself seated in front of it – Instead, he was greeted with the visage of a young woman standing before him. Finely dressed, in a regal silk gown of pink and white adorned with the royal crest and the very triangular symbol he'd been fascinated with since childhood. Upon her forehead sat a decorative jeweled crown, ornate golden leaves holding it in place over long pointed ears, as kind and entirely curious blue eyes looked to him from beneath her styled tendrils of golden bangs.

 

“Your Highness,” he said with a low bow of his head in greeting. He was worried now that his sudden call to the world of his ancestors would disturb her, and that she would not heed his words if he did not keep with the customs he had learned were of the norm of her world. “I am aware that contact between our worlds is forbidden, but I beg of you to listen now before it is too late. I have seen a vision of evil corrupting your lands. Hyrule will soon be plagued with darkness, and there is no time to spare worrying over the decrees of our forefathers. The book can no longer be considered safely hidden within your world...”

 

To his surprise, she had gestured softly with her gloved hand for him to continue, willing to hear him out despite the very decree her ancestors had made centuries ago. For a moment, his tired old eyes took in her expression of worry, and the child within him that had read of the olden tales with delight smiled brightly at seeing her visage before him. But nostalgia aside, the adult he knew he had to be right then and there began doing as she had silently asked of him. He continued to tell her all that he could; of who he was, of what was to come, and of whom they needed to protect.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Three days. He knew it would happen then, and so for the first two days of remaining peace he diligently worked on ensuring the plan he and the Princess in the mirror had made would work to their advantage in full. On day one he'd been certain to settle the matter of the mirror, as he knew if he did not it would be both his, and his granddaughter's undoing. So he worked as she was away to ensure that none of the tomes or items would fall within it's magics reach. First and foremost he was sworn to protect their secrets, as all of his family were, even if they did not know it. It was that thought, of those who had lived and passed unknowing of their true potential, that had him scrambling now to fix what had been broken within his granddaughter. She had to be prepared, no matter the cost, for this tale was hers.

 

So, on the night of the second day, he did something he had not done in years. Making tea, he called her into his study, smiling brightly at the young woman as she walked in. Grateful that he had been able to at least see her graduate, that she had grown to be a loving and caring person; but most of all grateful that he had been given the chance to protect her before her world spiraled out of control. She'd poured the tea for them both, dolling out sugar accordingly into her own as she sat across from him on the couch. Smiling she asked him what he wished to discuss, the question itself had forced him to clear his throat and remain neutral.

 

“Do you remember those stories I would tell you as a child?” He asked as he lifted his teacup, observing her small sad frown.

 

Tucking stray strands of raven locks behind her ear, she nodded. “I do,” she answered. “It's safe to say that I still know them all by heart. Though, by now I know its silly.” Seeing him frown at her words, Emily offered him an apologetic mutter. “I'm sorry, I know they mean the world to you. But I -”

 

“You have grown distant to such tales in your life,” he finished for her kindly, if not sadly as he knew it was true. “That is quite alright, Emi. Not many in this world allow themselves to dream of such fancies as they grow old.” Hearing her light chuckle, he smiled at her knowing where her thoughts had gone. “But as I am a kooky old man, I may dream of whatever fairy tales I see fit to!”

 

“I wouldn't say kooky, more like – Completely nutters,” she teased with a laugh. Knowing the furrow of his brows in irritation was only done in jest. For a moment, she quietly stared down into her teacup, sighing softly as her thoughts wandered to the tales he'd told her growing up. “Those stories - I used to wish they were true,” she whispered before looking back up with a small wistful grin. “I used to run off into the woods, and pretend I was the hero. I even had an imaginary fairy friend to yell at me when I would be lazy.” Her grandfather laughed, and her smile grew wider. “But, I'm not like you. I don't see magic around me, and tales of grandeur do little more than sadden me now. I just see -” She trailed off, gesturing her free hand vaguely with another sigh. “I just see the world, boring as it is, and void of fairies and magic.”

 

He hummed softly at her words, doing his best not to allow his sadness to show through the mask he had to forcibly wear for her own benefit. “The effects of the world around us often does that to those who call it home. Though, I don't suppose you would wish to hear one again anyway?” He asked. “Your favorite, perhaps? Was it not of the Twilight Princess?”

 

“It is,” she replied with a short nod of her head that had her tucked away hair falling back down along the side of her cheeks. “But, grandfather -” She paused then, her expression turning worried as she watched him shakily drink from his cup. “Is something wrong? You haven't asked me if I wanted to hear a story since I was twelve.”

 

Sighing out, more to himself than her, he nodded all the same in reassurance. “I am fine my dear,” he replied gently. “Now, do you wish to hear the story, or not?”

 

Laughing at the scowl he used to ask the question, she smiled once more. “I do.” Seeing him lift a withered silver brow in silent question, she let out another musical laugh. “Fine, fine. Grandfather?” She asked kindly, receiving the same curious lift of his brows as she would when she was little and would tug at his hand to gain his attention. “Tell me a story?”

 

“Of course!” He clapped his hands together happily, surprising her a bit with his sudden enthusiasm. “Get settled in,” he added hurriedly as he gestured towards the throw blanket on the couch. “I know you will fall asleep halfway through. Best to be comfy before you do, rather than to fall off the couch as you did when you were eight.”

 

Grabbing the blanket from the back of the couch, she relaxed, though he did not miss the frown at his comment. “I can't help it when all of your stories take nearly a week to tell,” she muttered as she reached for her cup of tea. Taking another sip, she smiled over the rim of her cup. “But the best stories are always the long ones, no?”

 

With a laugh he shook a finger at her. “For one who worries so over this feeble old mans health, you lack the energy and attention span I still posses.” Chastising complete, as she took another drink of her tea, he shifted further on the small cushion he'd been sitting on across from her. “But yes, you are indeed right. Long stories are the best ones. Now then, the tale of the Twilight Princess begins not with the Princess herself, but with the hero -” he began, only to reach out in time to catch the empty cup as it fell from her hands. Frowning, he watched for a moment to be sure she was indeed asleep. Snapping his fingers in front of her face, and receiving no response, he looked over to the sugar cubes she'd used as his frown deepened. “Oh my – That worked a bit quicker than I'd thought. I do hope I used the right ones,” he said to himself. Looking back over to his granddaughter, he sighed once more. “I suppose it doesn't matter now. Though, do not worry yourself, Emi. You will see this through to the end, I know you will.”

 

Rising from his seat slowly, he braced a hand against the coffee table to aid in his efforts. When he was upright once more, he grumbled out as his spine creaked. He wished he could have the time needed to tell the tale she'd loved the most growing up, but he knew he couldn't. If nothing more he would take comfort in the fact that she still remembered them, all of them, and as such she would have some knowledge to go by. If only a little. Right now though, he needed to prepare her, and he only knew of one way in which to do it. Moving the table aside, he cleared the space around her sleeping form on the couch, pulling up a chair to sit more easily in front of her as he placed his hands on the crown of her head.

 

“My dearest granddaughter,” he whispered quietly, allowing himself a moment of weakness as slow tears traced down his wrinkled face. “All I can do for you from this point on is ensure that you are able to handle the task ahead. Forgive me for not warning you properly, for not having a strong enough foresight to prepare you for what the fates have chosen. But more importantly, forgive a childish old fool for allowing your imagination to wither away as it has. Fairies are real my dear, the hero is too, and soon you will see the world as it was meant to be seen through the eyes of our forefathers – A magical, sometimes terrifying, and yet all together wondrous place.”

 

As he finished speaking to her, his hands began to glow faintly with a golden light, and from his lips once more the old speech muttered quietly out. For hours he worked, as she dreamed on unaware of what was to come, and as the dawns light of the third day began to rise in the sky – the light from his hands finally faded. Pulling them away from her head, he found himself feeling more tired now than he had ever felt before. His limbs felt old and withered now, and his heart beat felt more like a stone was rattling around within him. Blearily he realized, this is what it felt like to no longer have the gift, and as he looked down to Emily's sleeping face; he could truly say he had no regrets in passing it along to her. Standing, he let out a soft gasp of pain, the effects of passing his own gifts along to her were far worse than he had first thought. Rather than creaking like they normally did, his legs nearly gave out from beneath him, and wearily he looked over to the cane she insisted on getting for him back when his health had first begun to falter. He would need it today, and he could not deny it. Though, for her sake, he would continue to do his best in pretending he was fine.

 

Carefully, he shuffled over to the cane, gripping its ornate handle tight enough he could almost feel the owl carved into it leaving an imprint against his palm. Still, he pushed on, doing his best to right things as they were before she had fallen asleep. Finally done, he headed down the hallways towards the kitchen to sit at the table, unsurprised as the sky began to slowly darken despite the early hours. Ominous clouds could be seen off in the distance hovering over the mountain ranges to the east. Once Emily awoke to get ready for her job at the flower shop in town, he knew it would be the last time he would see her.

 

_The last time..._

 

He huffed disdainfully at what he'd had to do. Truly he hated himself for not being more vigilant when it came to her, to teaching her all that he knew rather than hefting it upon her shoulders to carry this way. But, he would not, and could not, change course in the face of evil. He would do what he had to. For in the end his life had been long and lived brightly, while Emily's own still had the chance to flourish and grow. Hearing her shuffling around in the study, he silently watched as she dashed from the hallway to the stairs; all but flying up them in a race to get ready for work. She still had a tendency of sleeping in, he mused lightly. Such a habit will be hard to break, but very soon here she would have no choice but to. When she returned from her room upstairs, she'd been dressed in her uniform. Little more than an apron thrown over whatever she chose to wear for the day that was appropriate by the towns florist's standards. For her, it meant jeans and a fitted top. He smiled warmly at her as she grabbed a granola bar from the pantry, and a small bottle of milk from the fridge.

 

Pausing in her motions, her sage colored eyes scanned the cane he still held firmly to, and she slowly put her hurried breakfast down on the counter top. “Grandfather,” she beckoned, and he already knew why. “I thought you said canes were for those who accepted their old age, and therefore, not for you as you never will.”

 

It wasn't a question of course, she knew he'd said it about a million times over since she'd bought it for him.

 

“I did, and they are.” He nodded as his smile held. “My knee is acting up,” he offered in explanation. Inwardly cursing his inability to think of anything better than the same things most elderly people would complain about. “You know I dare say I think it will rain today,” he added, making a show of tapping his knee with the cane, and hiding the grimace from his face in the process.

 

It had actually hurt to do so, especially when all she had to do was look out the window to get a view of the mountains and see the storm heading their way.

 

“It would seem, that the weather is tricky business when one has bones finely tuned to measure it. So do be careful on your way to work! No funny business with the car,” he chided, another effort to keep her from reading too far into the act he was only partially putting on. Truly he felt as if standing once more would be about as tiresome as actually traversing the mountainside. “You are running late, are you not?” He questioned once he realized she was about to dismiss his chiding, and probably ring the doctor in town for a house call regarding his current mental state.

 

“I -” She sighed, looking at the watch on her wrist and biting the side of her cheek to keep her language in check. “Yes, I am.” Glancing back to him, Emily frowned. “Are you sure you'll be alright while I'm gone?”

 

He was already nodding his head before she'd finished the sentence. Knowing well enough she would ask, as she had always asked on days when she thought he was feeling even the slightest bit under the weather.

 

“Al-alright, then,” she relented slowly. Pocketing her breakfast in the green apron she wore to work, she made her way over to him to give him a warm hug. “Have a good day, and rest if you need it,” she said, chastising him this time and pulling a small chuckle from him in turn. “I mean it,” she added as she pulled back. “The number for Doctor Finnus is on speed dial one, and the flower shop is on two. Call if you need anything, okay?”

 

With a smile, he patted her hand that had held over his tight grip to the cane. “I will,” he lied, holding back the bitterness that came from even doing so.

 

She would be devastated, he knew. Left alone in this world, and worse still, forced to face down that which he could not muster the strength to do himself in his old age. But there were no other options, and while it pained him to leave her in such a way, he knew it needed to be done.

 

“Now off you go,” he added, waving her away with his hand. “You have work to do, and I have a nap I need to see to.” Smiling softly she turned to go, only to stop when he called out to her once more. “Emily? Do your best to hold on to the wonder you once had of the world around you. More often than not it is the ordinary things in life that can blossom into the extraordinary.”

 

Within her eyes, he could practically see the gears in her mind working over his words as she stood near the archway that lead to the main hall of the house. And for a moment he thought she might question him further. Instead she smiled again, nodding her head and giving a light wave of her hand in farewell.

 

“I'll do my best,” she answered, and then she was gone.

 

Neither had said goodbye. Of course, he knew better than to do so at all. Her heart was still heavy from the last time she had said goodbye; only for it to be the final time she'd been able to do so to her mother and father. She treated the sentiment now as though it were a curse, seeming to believe if one says it, than it would mean forever. He'd always felt guilty over the accident, his own foresight would only come to him in dreams, and it had not warned him until he had laid down for a nap shortly after they had left. He'd seen it happen in his dream, all while it had been happening in reality. By the time he had forced his eyes to open, he had known in an instant it was too late to stop them from making their trip. He'd taken her out then, one last trip into the forest to play and let her imagination see the world as a brighter place. Two days later the crash site had been found, and he had been notified over the phone when they'd returned that his son and daughter in law were found dead at the scene.

 

Emi had changed since then, eventually no longer asking for stories at night, she'd slowly stopped going into the woods to play unless it was to take Titan for a short ride. The horse it seemed, was about the only thing that would comfort her in those times, as around him she would put on a forced smiling face; pretending for his own benefit that she still believed in magic and fairy tales.

 

Sitting in the kitchen, alone with his thoughts, he looked outside when he heard her car start. “Goodbye, my dearest granddaughter. May the goddesses keep watch over you in the days ahead,” he whispered while he watched her small car head down the winding dirt road towards the town.

 

Perhaps, he thought sadly, goodbyes were meant to be a curse after all.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

By three in the afternoon, the clouds had already made their way to hover over the small town. He was tired, oh so very tired, as he had spent what precious hours afforded to him making his final preparations. He couldn't warn her directly, could not tell her of what was to come, because in the end he knew she'd not believe him. Or worse, she would have stayed home to look after him, only to be caught in the clutches of darkness for her efforts. In town, for now at least, she was safe. He knew his foes magic was considerably strong. But even so, the wards he had left written in thrice-blessed ink and red sand around the mirror would be enough to keep him at bay. The evil and corrupt could not fully enter this world through it now, and the old man had made certain of that in every possible way he could think of. The rest would fall upon the Princess to pull off, though he had no doubts in her abilities to do so.

 

Looking over to the envelope he had placed under Emily's pillow in her room, he sighed as he closed the door behind him. The sound echoed softly off the walls of the estate, and yet for him it rang out loudly with finality. Turning, he hobbled now as he made his trek through his family home. Looking over some of the old paintings, photos even, of those long since lost that hung on the walls. He could pinpoint every single one within them who had written within the pages of the tomes he'd lose himself in as a child. Pausing, his body now aching as though he were beginning to wither from the inside out, he looked to the portrait of his rather distant grandmother. The very one who had penned the tale his granddaughter had liked best of them all, that of the Twilight Princess. He couldn't help but reminisce of the family line as he stared at her visage pristinely painted. It had captured a moment of obvious relief as she had finally finished the last arc of the tale before her life began to settle down into something more manageable – Or rather, normal by most peoples standards.

 

Their history had been closely protected, scrawled within tomes before those within their bloodline had begun to lose the ability to use the gift. He had wondered over the years if it was an effect of their ancestral blood thinning from life in this world, or if it was a matter of the stories themselves being finished from their perspective Seer. Truly, there were so many things he still had questions to as much of the history before the exile was hard to fully decipher within the most archaic representation of the old tongue. It was a wonder alone that the seven tales were as easily translated as they'd been when he had found them as a child. But with only four as a mutual representation of their history beforehand, he supposed the remaining three had been written in effort to show the good rather than the bad of their own peoples history. And in the end it was himself alone that was the last to still maintain the gift of their people. One that Emily had thankfully been given in time, and as such, one she would have to master in order to see to it that their duty was fulfilled.

 

Hearing the thunder roar from outside, he looked away from the painting, and ignored the sounds of the phone ringing from within the kitchen. “It is time,” he whispered to himself as the lights flickered wildly.

 

The storm gathering outside was so strong, the sun could not break through its clouds to cast its light. Feeling the swell of evil, cold and cruel beginning to stir in the air, he leaned on his cane and continued his intent march down the stairs to the lower levels. When he reached his study, he held his head high as he allowed the flashes of lightning to assist him in finding the book once more; pulling on it's spine for the last time.

 

“Let us end this farce,” he called out to the darkness of the old stairwell as it opened. The candles did not light as they had always done before, and he knew well enough as to why. “You have come for me, have you not? Do you believe this is a surprise? Do you think yourself clever by turning out the lights on an old man?” Scoffing indignantly, he frowned at the darkness. “Old though I may be, I fear not your petty parlor tricks, nor of what is to become of me today! So save your smoke and mirrors act for those who are foolish enough to cower and kneel like dogs before it!”

 

After a few moments punctuated by further sounds of the storm outside; the candles lit, one by one, illuminating the passageway as he finally stepped forward. “Strange. You claim not to hold fear in your heart, old man. Yet I see you hold enough of it to keep me from fully entering your realm,” the darkness answered him in a gravely tone, amused by his efforts while his feet slowly carried him down the stairs. “I wonder if you truly realize just with whom it is you speak?”

 

Feeling as though led had invaded his bloodstream the closer he got to the end of the stairwell, the old man scoffed again. Sounding more tired and pained than he had wanted to let on as he had been forced to make the trip this time holding to the stone walls in effort to keep himself steady. A returning dark chuckle rose from below, bouncing off the walls to ring in his eardrums.

 

“I speak to Ganondorf, the Gerudo King. A maleficar of the dark arts, a thief, a liar, and a snake in the grass undeserving of the meal he seeks,” he retorted. “You are just as unworthy of the very air you breathe, as you are of entering the Sacred Realm!”

 

He could feel the anger rise within the magical pressure around him before the candles had gone out. What kindness, if one could consider any coming from the vile creature who dared to seek godhood, had expired. His boisterous laugh sounded out once more as the old man lost his footing to fall down the remaining stairs. Landing with a pained gasp at the bottom, his house robe had twisted around his legs, and as blood spilled forth from his aged lips – He felt around the floor blindly only to find his cane had been snapped in two. The candles lit again, and as he looked up from his position on the floor, he was not blind to the cruel yellow eyes that stared back at him from within the mirror.

 

“You warned her didn't you?” The sadistic King asked, lifting his hand with a curious tilt of his head, he beckoned with a single digit as if requesting the old man to step forward.

 

Watching with delight in his wicked yellow eyes, he allowed the old man to struggle in his attempts to rise to his feet once more. Only just long enough to see him suffer for his belligerence, until he'd had his fill and sent his magic forward again. The old man was forced to his feet, his body being surrounded by a dark purple aura that held tightly to him and dragged his toes across the rugs and stone until he was but inches away from the glass.

 

“The Princess is no longer within her castle,” he clarified, though knew by now there was no need to. “Yet you, Seer - curiously, do not hide from me as she does.”

 

“Seer? I am but a withered old man on the cusp of death,” he replied thickly as the streaks of crimson continued to flow from the corners of his mouth. “Kill me if you desire, but what power I held is no longer within me. You will not have your way through me, and the Book will not bend to your twisted desires! The future you seek for yourself will never become a reality!”

 

A wicked smile curved at olive lips, as the Gerudo King shook his head. “If it is not within you, then I can only assume there is another. Princess Zelda would not allow you to so foolishly sacrifice yourself like this. In fact, she would not disappear either, were there not another way in mind of stopping me.” He let out a mocking laugh, his reddened brows pulling together as his dark smile held to his lips. “Tell me, old man – Who is it then I should seek? Should your answer prove sufficient, I just might let you live.”

 

A gurgled laugh left him at that, his head slowly shaking side to side. “I will tell you nothing,” he spat, literally sending his own blood to splatter against the face in the glass. “Your lies will not help you here. Kill me, and be done with it, for it is the fate I know I am meant to be dealt this day!”

 

Wiping away the bloodied spittle from his cheek, Ganondorf looked to his blackened gloves with a cocked brow of minute interest. It had not stuck to the mirror, but instead gone through it to strike him, and with a glance at the defiant glare on the old mans face – He'd known it would when he'd done it.

 

“How quaint,” he sneered. “Yet, you've proven my theory correct even further. Perhaps it is time I show you how convincing I truly can be?”

 

Reaching out now, his hand went through the glass in a swift movement. Purple light glowing fiercely from his fingertips as he pressed his large digits into the elderly mans face, probing his magic into his very mind. Chuckling, as he found the fight was a rather strong one for such a feeble looking old git, he let his amusement show at the sight in the form of a wide malicious grin.

 

“Impressive resolve,” he complimented, probing deeper until he heard the satisfying sound of a scream violently tearing its way from the old man. “But is it one you passed on to – Ahhh, yes. Emily, is it?”

 

He'd released his hold, pulling his hand back into the mirror as his magic did the job well enough in keeping the old man upright. Panting in exhaustion, Emily's grandfather felt his skin crawl with a chill of terror at the power that had been forced through him to probe his thoughts.

 

“You will – you – You will never have her,” he finally gasped out, barely hanging on to consciousness as his lungs constricted tightly in an attempt to breathe past the heavy magic he'd been forced to endure. “Like those before you who sought the power of the Triforce for evil,” he continued, gasping out further and forcing himself not to scream as the evil surrounding his body pushed harder in retort to his defiance. “You, will fail!”

 

On the other side of the mirror, Ganondorf glared at the old man, lifting his hand yet again to focus more of his power to it so he could push through. “You underestimate me,” he snarled out.

 

Thrusting his hand through the glass again, he felt a burning sensation through his arm as he pierced the wards for the second time to deliver a final wave of dark magic directly into the old mans heart. Smiling ruefully, he pulled his arm back to himself as his magic finally wavered against the seals that had been placed on the other side. The old mans body dropped to the floor, shaking for but a moment before going still as death took its hold.

 

“Your attempts to protect her are quite endearing,” he hissed out mockingly. “But while you were prepared for me, I somehow doubt that girl is.”

 

He'd turned his back then, stepping only a pace away from the mirror before he heard a sharp breath from behind him. Glancing back over his shoulder, he was surprised to see the fool was still alive, but barely just.

 

“She will be your undoing,” the old man whispered before his eyes fluttered closed and his head hit the stones to lie still in a puddle of his own blood.

 

Chuckling his amusement at the sentimental old fool, Ganondorf plucked up the ornate drapery from the back of the throne, and tossed it back over the mirror to cut off the connection. Simply trying to put his arm through was a difficult task, and while he was sure of his own strength in power he knew trying to enter fully would not be in his best interest. No. If he could not go there himself to fetch this Emily girl, then he knew just who would be foolish enough to bring her here for him. All he had to do now was wait, bide his time, build upon his magic, and spring his trap when the opportunity was made available to him. Stepping over the corpse of a guard, he gestured to the moblins that had begun to gather in the throne room.

 

“Search the castle from top to bottom,” he growled out, as he sat leisurely upon the throne. “Kill any still hiding within these walls! So is the order of the Gerudo King of Hyrule!”

 

Said order was met by grunts, snorted out cheers from pigged snouts, the clattering of wooden spears against the marble flooring in joy, and the screams of scullery maids before their heads were relieved from their bodies. Within the hour, Hyrule castle would be painted red.

 


	2. Seeking Magic

Emily had watched the storm clouds that had drifted overhead during the day. An odd, and unshakable feeling of dread had risen within her when she'd first seen them. Though she couldn't begin to figure out why. Everyone else within the town that had come in for flowers were simply worried if the rain unleashed by the clouds as they'd passed grew heavy that it would flood the river. But apart from that none of them really seemed to be bothered by them. Not like she was anyway. Still, she did her best to dismiss her own feelings on the matter, and busy herself with work; all while trying to hold steady every time a loud clap of thunder would shake over the town. For a while she was managing just fine in keeping her mind clear, up until her boss had pointed out that the storm had moved towards the old estate.

 

She had been halfway out of the door with a crate of deliveries in hand for their daily orders, and as she wrangled the box into the car she'd looked down the road through the rain to see her boss had been correct. By the time she'd finished delivering them all in her car though, the clouds themselves had grown violent. Streaks of lightning were seen scattering through their blackened waves, heavy winds were twisting along the treetops, and the rain had picked up its pace. The sight of it all had her nerves far more agitated than before, and the fear that something was truly wrong had begun to take over. Trying to call home from the flower shops phone, Emily's eyes had been trained on the hilltop Estate the entire time, hearing nothing but the constant ringing of the phone and no answer.

 

Looking to her boss, the older woman hummed as she finally seemed to ponder the matter over herself. Mrs. Flora, or so she preferred to be called, sent her a worried look that mirrored her own. “Perhaps you should go on back home early dear,” she said as adjusted her flower framed glasses to get a better look at the large billowing clouds. “Your grandfather is a quirky old man to be certain. But he never misses a call from you to check in.”

 

Emily had all but ran through the front door of the small shop the moment she'd been given leave to go. Jumping into her car she turned the engine, and sped off; unknowing of the fact that Mrs. Flora had taken up her phone to call for assistance worried that something had indeed happened. The drive back, though short, felt long and drawn out. Every stop light, every stop sign, all of them made her twitch in the drivers seat with a desire to say screw it and just run the rest of the way back. The hope that her worries would be quelled by the time she reached the estate was the only thing keeping her in check. But as her car finally neared the front gate of the long road leading up to the estate, she'd been greeted by the sight of Titan. The large black friesian horse was nickering in anger as he hefted himself to his hind legs and smacked at the metal gate leaving clumps of mud caking along the spiraled leaf design in his wake.

 

Cutting the engine she got out of her car and made her way over to the gate, carefully calling out to him in an effort to calm him down. As Titan took notice of her, his nervousness showed in a side to side step of his large hooves. Tension had built enough within him that when she felt it was safe enough to reach through the wrought iron gate to pat his muzzle kindly; he'd stepped back nickering again as he sidestepped once more. His behavior alone had what hope she was holding to dying off in a painful gut wrenching twist. Something was wrong, horribly, horribly wrong, as Titan never took off from his fenced in barn, and he most certainly had never behaved like this before.

 

Leaving her car where it was parked, she hit the button on her keys to open the gate, lifting up her hands in a pacifying gesture to the large stallion; hopeful that he would be calm enough to allow her to ride him the rest of the way. No reigns or saddle aside, she couldn't just leave him at the front gate, and with the rain that had fallen her car would just get stuck anyway. Or worse, it would just slide back down the hill into a tree. Gesturing to him with her hands again, a silent request for him to calm down, Titan lowered his head as she ran her fingers through his mane. Whispering her apologies to the horse, as she knew mounting him this way would be a bit painful on his part without reigns to grip, she instead lead him towards a rock and held to the lower base of his neck. Using her other hand to brace at his back, she jumped twice in an attempt to hoist herself up, cursing her shortness as even with the added height of the rock it wasn't the same as the step-stool she kept in his barn. With a few more tries down, she finally managed to scramble onto him, and with another apology she held to his mane.

 

The moment she was on his back, Titan it seemed, had enough of waiting for her command. The large friesian turned without warning and bolted towards the house, leaving Emily with little more options than to hold tightly to him as he made his run. Racing up the long winding driveway, Emily looked forward through the pelting rain, gripping even tighter as his hooves would near skid from time to time in the slick mud beneath him. Her heart had begun to leap in tune with the sounds of his hooves hitting the puddles and muddied earth, and as they finally neared the front of the house she nearly fell off when Titan had halted in his run. Sliding from his back, she didn't bother telling him to wait where he was, instead she'd ran to the front door with shaky hands fumbling to fit the key into the lock.

 

Finally, and frustratingly so, she turned the lock only to let the door swing open behind her and leave it that way as she dashed inside calling out for her grandfather. Running down the main hall, she called out again receiving no response. The stillness that seemed to have settled over the entire house sent a chill down her spine, as she looked into the rooms of the lower floor finding nothing amiss. Knowing the most likely place to find him was his study, she sprinted off further down the hall heading towards the kitchen to make her way there. Drenched from the rainfall, Emily slipped along the wooden floors in her run, reaching the kitchen in an ungraceful twist of her ankle only to smack into a chair as she tried to brace herself. Feeling pain bloom from her forehead, she groaned softly as she opened her eyes and looked around noticing she'd not only missed the chair, but something else in her hurried dash. The lights had been flickering, she'd seen it during her ride up the driveway, but now they were fine as if nothing had happened at all. She realized too that it had gone silent outside, the loud thunder, the streaks of lightning, all of it had stopped entirely.

 

Left only to hear her own huffed breaths as she pushed herself up from the floor, she became aware of another sound from outside, and as she turned her head to look behind her she saw the flashing blue and red lights of the Sheriff's cruiser slowly pulling up into the driveway through the wide open doors of the foyer. Feeling her mind go fuzzy, she braced a hand against the chair she'd smacked into in an effort to pull herself fully onto her feet again. A shriek of terror left her lips as she felt someone take a firm grip of her arm and help hoist her up. And as her wide eyes immediately looked over to see both the towns Sheriff and the Deputy had followed her inside, she realized Deputy Adams was the one who had reached out for her.

 

“You alright?” Adams asked gently, hissing slightly through his teeth as he reached up to her forehead with his other hand. “Mrs. Flora called as soon as you left work, said she was worried something might have happened. Looks like she was right, you hit your head pretty hard, Emi.”

 

“Grandpa,” she breathed out. Uncaring of the blood she saw against his thumb when he reached over to grab a dishtowel to press into her apparent head wound. “I haven't – I haven't seen grandfather,” she finished as she turned pleading eyes to Sheriff Loren. “I need to find -”

 

“You need to sit down and take a breather,” the Sheriff dismissed with a shake of his head. “I'll find your grandfather Emi, alright? Just calm down, and let Adams take a look at that wound of yours. Don't need to be moving around if you're concussed.” Waiting for her to slowly nod her head, he offered her a small worried smile before gesturing for his Deputy to take care of her.

 

As Sheriff Loren began to head towards the stairs, Emily called out to him. “Sheriff! If he's anywhere right now he'd be in his study, to your left and down the hall on your right,” she huffed out her words, almost batting away at Deputy Adams hands as he kept trying to get her to take a seat in the chair he'd picked up from the floor.

 

Tipping his hat, the Sheriff did as he was instructed, turning down the left hall in search of her grandfather. Knowing someone was looking, Emily finally relaxed and allowed the Deputy to take a look at her forehead. “You smacked your head pretty darn good there, Emi,” Adams observed again, drawing her attention from the hall. “Slipped?” He asked, as if it weren't obvious by the trail of water she'd likely left in her wake along the floors.

 

“Yeah,” she muttered, turning to look back towards the hall worriedly. “Titan got loose, so I rode him up here instead of taking my car,” she added, feeling his eyes still watching her closely as she continued to ignore him. “Didn't think it would make it up the road, and Titan was fidgety.” Looking back over to the Deputy she frowned, shaking her head despite his attempts at cleaning it off with the dishtowel. “You know Titan, Adams. He never gets nervous about squat.”

 

Considering her words for a moment, Adams nodded. He'd been an old friend of her's growing up in the small town, and as such, had known that horse since the day she'd got it. Nothing scared it, coyotes included. Unfortunately though, he knew where her mind was going, and with a glance over his shoulder to see the large stallion still shifting side to side on its hooves near the steps outside – he was worried now too that she'd be right. “Try not to worry yourself, Emi. Sheriff Loren will find him, alright?”

 

As if on cue, the booted steps of Sheriff Loren pulled their attentions back towards the hall he'd walked down. Pale in the face, he lifted his hat free from his head, and looked to Emily with apologetic eyes. “Adams, call the Medical Examiner from Byron. Emily, I -” he trailed off dropping his hat to stop the young woman as she'd scrambled from her seat, nearly shoving Adams to the floor at what she'd heard. His hands held firmly to her shoulders as she tried pushing her way past him, screaming out with tear stained cheeks. “Emily! Emily, calm down now! You don't want to go in there!”

 

All she heard, no matter what he said to her in effort to calm her down, was the repeating mantra of 'Medical Examiner.' She'd heard that before, she knew why they were called, and in that moment of complete emotional turmoil she couldn't have cared less about what she might see if she went to her grandfather's side. It was only when she'd felt her old friend take a hold of her, and pull her away from the Sheriff, hearing the vague babble of conversation between the two with the word 'dead' buzzing through the haze of her mind – that she finally stopped struggling. Falling to the kitchen floor feeling like the air had been knocked out of her lungs, she held tightly to her knee's, seeing Adams kneel down beside her as the Sheriff took it upon himself to make the call.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Two days had gone by, during which she hadn't slept a wink. Her grandfather's lawyer had stopped by the estate the morning of day two, a kind young man considering the stigma associated with those of his profession. He'd brought her a basket of fresh fruit, expressing sadness of his own over the loss, and quietly informed her of her grandfather's will bequeathing everything to her in the case of his death. She'd nodded, here and there, but otherwise done little more than stare out the window to the driveway. When he'd left, the sound of the front door closing had echoed throughout the estate so loudly she was hit with another wave of tears. She was alone now, completely, in this large manor without his stories or sense of humor to keep some semblance of a smile on her face. Outside, Titan of course, would be waiting for her to keep her company. But even that had proven to do little in the means of easing the ache within her heart.

 

The Medical Examiner from Byron had been quick to confirm her grandfather's death, and in his report he'd stated it appeared he had died from internal injuries sustained while falling down the stairs to the room hidden in his study. A room she couldn't bare to go into herself. She'd never known of that place, but the idea of venturing in there at all after he'd died there had her sick to her stomach and tears threatening to fall all over again in a matter of seconds. The very hallway in which she could venture down to see it had become something that she'd been too scared to so much as even look at, least of all go down herself. From time to time as well, if she took the stairway nearby it to head to her room, all she could feel was a wave of cold air from its direction that had her shuddering and moving quickly to keep away from it.

 

When day three had finally dawned on her, still sitting in the kitchen and staring blankly out into the trees on the property. She'd only stood to shower and get dressed for the simple sake of being at the funeral. She'd rode Titan there, the small ceremony was open to any who wished to come, and her heart had twisted further upon seeing that nearly the entire town had chosen to attend. Many had stepped up to the podium to express their gratitude to her grandfather as he'd helped them fund their business, or done some sporadic thing or another to cheer them up on one of their own painful days in life. Happy stories of him were shared amongst all who attended, and even a few small tearful laughs had been brought from the crowd gathered in their remembrance of him. But when it had been her time to speak, Adams had eventually risen from his seat next to his wife to stand at her side in support, as all she could do was stare at the top of the podium in a near choked silence.

 

When she'd finally reeled herself in enough to say more than garbled nonsense, the only thing she could think to mention was the stories he would tell her. How when she was little he'd chased away her nightmares by giving her an imaginary hero to think of instead. How she'd fall asleep during some of them simply because they were so long. How he'd done his best to be the family she needed when her parents had died. How she'd miss his quirky personality, and his rants about how he wasn't old, just wrinkly like a prune. By the time she'd stopped, instead of the sort of relief she'd always heard one felt from speaking of their lost loved ones; she only felt like all she'd really done was place further weight on her own shoulders from even speaking at all.

 

Adams had helped her back to her seat, where his wife Sarah reached out to her, pulling her to her side for a hug as the pastor had stepped forward to finish his own speech on life and death. When they'd moved outside, the coffin was carried by the younger men in the community to be lowered into the ground; leaving Emily with a hollow ache in her chest as she silently stood by and watched. Tossing the small rose she'd picked from the gardens of the estate down onto his casket, she stood deathly still as the others present dropped their own while the dirt was shoveled in. Looking up when the job had been complete, she saw that the townspeople were already heading off with bowed heads of silence to the wake Mrs. Flora had arranged. The light clopping sounds of hooves against grass sounded out from behind her as she watched them leave.

 

Turning around she found that Titan had chosen to untie himself from the fence post near the church, and despite her own emotional state; she let out a small tearful laugh at seeing the horse had also carried one of the flower bushes in his mouth from the hedged garden he'd been 'parked' near. Petting his neck silently, she let him drop it on top of the grave near the headstone. Half chewed, it looked like it'd been mauled by an angry badger, but if anyone would understand her horse's sense it was grandfather. He'd appreciate the gesture, more so because it wasn't one of his own flower bushes the horse had destroyed.

 

After a moment or two of silence, she took Titan's reigns in her hand and looked down to the headstone that had been prepared for her grandfather. “Goodbye grandfather,” she whispered. “I'll try to keep looking for it – the magic you said you saw. And if I ever find a fairy, I'll come back and tell you all about it, okay?” She knew logically that she never would, but the sentiment was there all the same, and as she lead Titan away from his grave – she did her best not to let the tears fall all over again.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++

 

On day four, she awoke to find herself in her bedroom. Coming home early from the wake, she'd been so bone tired from her lack of sleep that she'd fallen into her bead in a heap of pillows and blankets. Blearily, she shook her head, reaching up to touch at the small scrape she'd wound up getting. It was healing rather quickly, and she supposed if nothing else at least it was hidden beneath her hair. All the same, her head was still throbbing as she'd managed to oversleep. Sitting up she put her hand back on the bed to brace herself, only to hear the crumpling sounds of paper, and feel the slight scrap of an envelope beneath her fingertips. Curiously, she lifted the pillow her hand had slid beneath in her efforts to sit up, and pulled out a small envelope from beneath it. Pushing herself up fully now, she crossed her legs on the bed as she examined the envelope with interest, seeing the delicate scrawl of her grandfather's handwriting on the front of it.

 

For a moment, she just stared, feeling tears attempting to well up in her eyes as a myriad of thoughts rushed through her mind at a whirlwind speed. When did he put this here? And for that matter, why? The latter of the two questions had her stomach turning with a sense of dread, as her thoughts went dark from the implications. Shaking her head again, this time in effort to quell such horrible things from rising further to her thoughts, she ignored the throbbing gained from doing so and opened the envelope. Pulling free the small letter within it, she licked her lips, dry and nervous as to what he may have written. But all the same she knew she couldn't just ignore it. Unfolding it carefully, as though it would spontaneously turn to dust in her hands, her eyes roamed over the flowing handwriting.

 

_Dearest Emily,_

 

_By now I am certain that your mind has already gone to places it should not have before you've even opened this. Have no fear, little Emi, I've not lost my mind that much. However, I know as I write this that will not change the fact that I am gone. I had wanted to tell you goodbye in person, though I knew you would take it poorly. I knew I was bound to meet my end, and while I too knew that you would be heartbroken, it was a matter of protecting you that held my tongue. There is so much I wish to explain, to tell you. I'm afraid though that all of it would require far more time than I've been presented with to do so. I hope my dear Emi, that you've remembered your words on not giving up on that imagination of yours? Hah! You forget nothing, I know that well enough, but a reminder is needed all the same. I have two requests to make of you, and I can only hope this letter is found sooner rather than later._

 

_That room, Emi, do not venture within it. You have likely not gone near it yet at all, and are now probably wondering why I ask this of you - But that again is something that would take me far too long to fully explain. Truly though, heed my warning this time, do not go near the room hidden within my study. I worry if you do things will take a disastrous turn. So for me, keep far away from it, you hear? Good._

 

_As for the second request, it is one you may think odder than the first. But it is still one I need you to pay close attention to. Pack up Titan's saddlebags, clothes, some food if you can, and do what it was you once did long ago. The forest has missed its playful hero and her imaginary fairy, and after all these years I must admit I have as well. I know it is hard for you now, more so even as I am gone, to will yourself to see magic in the world. But I need you to try my dear, one last time, and with all your might if need be. If nothing else, I believe a trip away to see the places your imagination once flourished as a child will do you some good. Try your utmost hardest to remember that there is always a spark of magic in the world around us. But it is up to us to see it, to look at the world with open eyes, and see more than just a brook or a mountainside - and do try to do so with haste, as time is short!_

 

_I have... A friend I suppose. One who soon you shall meet, should you heed both of my requests anyway. They will know where to find you if you are in the forest, so do not worry on waiting around. Take heart in knowing that the answers you likely seek will be given soon. I hope by then you will still have your wits about you, but no matter what you are told; know that it is the utmost truth of the matter. I am sorry, goddess' knows how sorry I am to have placed this upon your shoulders as I have. But even they know, I think, that there was no other option. Time is a tricky monster, one that ticks by before we realize truly how much of it has passed. When your time comes, face down your fears with an iron will, and unwavering courage. Know that you are not alone, no matter how you feel now._

 

_I love you Emi, and I shall miss telling you my stories. But I go now with the knowledge that you have not forgotten a word, and that alone fills my heart with joy just as your bright smile always has. Please, keep your promise, and do not begrudge this old man what he asks of you._

 

_\- Grandfather Tallw~~~_

 

A blot of ink smeared over his signature at the bottom, her tears had slowly started to flow the moment she'd begun reading. He knew he was going to die, he knew and he did nothing to warn her. Part of her was so very mad that her hands began to shake, while she found strangely at the same time she was grateful that he'd not said anything. She would have lost herself to grief and worry long before it had even happened then. Taking in a deep steadying breath, she lifted a hand to wipe her tears, as she let out a long exhale to calm her nerves. Hands still shaking she reread the letter again, wondering over the matter of his second request more than the first.

 

She'd already made her mind up about that room, having Adams poke around until he'd found a way to close it off. She'd not even dared to walk past the study in the hallway, as every time she'd so much as glanced down it she'd gotten a chill down her spine that had her feet quickly retreating off elsewhere. For her, that request was easy enough to accept without him having to even ask. But packing up Titan's saddlebags with clothes and food for an excursion into the forest to play fairy-girl? She couldn't help but laugh softly at that. Leave it to him to say such a thing in his letter, all while being completely vague on what it was that was going on with him when he'd wrote it.

 

Looking over to her wardrobe, she considered the matter as her teeth lightly tugged at her lower lip in thought. She was meant to meet with someone, who unnamed or not, apparently knew where to find her if she left to go prancing about in the woods? Sighing, she looked back to the letter in her lap, and knew her mind had already been made up. Leaving the letter on the bed, her feet made contact with the cold wood flooring as she set off towards her bathroom to clean herself up; and to begin the process of packing both her things, and Titan's saddlebags. Who knows? Maybe this time his words of magic would ring true, and perhaps, she'd see whatever it was that he always had. She owed it to him to at least try.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not sure if how things with the Sheriff play out alright. After all, Emily can't go near that mirror. Big no, no, right there. If she did, well we all know who would be able to sense it. And if Ganondorf's got the gusto to reach an arm through, he certainly has it in him to yank her through it too. Really her only saving grace right now is the fact that her grandfather was able to ward him from entering in full. But of course, that is mainly due to the fact that I obviously couldn't let that happen. Otherwise this would be one heck of a short story.
> 
> As for the quick update only about an hour or so after posting the first chapter, I'm putting most of what I have up already just to motivate myself to work a little more on it. I am enjoying writing this so far, and hopefully the plans I have for it work out in the end.


	3. Meeting In Dreams

Emily had managed to get herself put together rather quickly. Not wanting to pack too heavily, she'd wagered on spending a few days and nights in the old forest, maybe a week tops if the weather was good. With toiletries, and a few changes of clothes - as she could just wash her garments in the small brook if need be, she'd been dressed in her riding outfit of choice and was out the door to start packing up the rest in record time. Titan had watched her enter the small barn with flickering ears of interest, and the moment her hands reached for his saddlebags he let out a pleased whinny at her obvious intent to take him somewhere. In fact, he'd proudly pranced right on over to her step-stool to simply stand there in wait for her to finish getting his things put on him so they could go, immediately. She'd let out a small laugh at the sight, only to see him hold his head high as if indignantly dismissing her amusement of his desire to go for a ride.

 

After she'd gotten his own gear strapped to him, his reigns and saddle firmly attached, though not uncomfortably so, she began checking over all that she had, taking careful stock to be sure she'd not forgotten anything. She strapped her sleeping bag and a spare blanket to the back of his saddle, and the light weight bag of clothes and spare things was well enough to keep to her own back. The food issue on the other hand? That she deemed would require a trip into town as most of what she had in the house would require her to bring a small wagon of cookery as well. Humming softly to Titan as she lifted herself up from the stool to take purchase at the pommel of the saddle, she hoisted her weight up with ease and adjusted her seating before taking the reigns to lead him off.

 

The house had been locked up before she'd left, and as she began to lead Titan down the long winding driveway to head into town for supplies, she caught herself looking over her shoulder towards the kitchen window. With a pang of sadness in her heart, as if she'd forgotten he'd not be sitting there to wave her off, she turned back to face the road ahead; tightening her heels just enough to send Titan into a faster pace. Outside she found herself feeling lighter at least, but inside had been an entirely different matter. The house felt almost haunted to her, like someone was watching her movements despite no one being there at all. At the wake, Sarah had offered her a spare room to stay in, or at the least to stay over with her until she was feeling up to it. But Emily had shook her head at the offer, not wanting to heft her own emotional baggage onto anyone. With the fresh air, the birds sounding out their own mid-day tunes, and Titan happy to be put to use – she finally allowed herself to enjoy something again as she hit the button on her keys within her pocket to open the gate, and headed into town.

 

While there, she'd been held back for near three hours. For one Mrs. Flora had a good long speech to make about how she could take her time to grieve however she saw fit. Said speech had of course been spoken with a lift of her flower shaped glasses and a curious once over of her chosen riding outfit. But all the same, Mrs. Flora had been kind enough to not restrict her by demanding she return to work immediately. A plus, she supposed, to living in such a small town. The downside however, was being stopped by near everyone who saw her as she tried leading Titan towards the small grocery store, all of whom were offering their condolences all over again. She appreciated their effort yes, but honestly, she didn't want to hear anymore platitudes as it only further tugged at her heart. Still, taking each one as gracefully as she could, she'd finally made it to the store only to tie off Titan and run into Adams and Sarah.

 

The two had looked over her shopping cart with interest, curious as well of the backpack she still wore. Explaining at least the part of taking some time to camp out in the forest, and entirely avoiding mentioning the letter, she was once more met with brow raised expressions. Feeling miffed at the sight of it, she squared her shoulders clearly intent on arguing up until Adams hastily began saying they were only worried about her before she could make a speech of her own on how she was used to the woods on the estate. He knew well enough that she'd played there as a child, and she'd often gone to school the next day to proudly show off a small bruise or poorly bandaged scrape with a tall tale behind every word. Regardless, it had taken her near another forty minutes to convince the couple that she was not losing her mind before Adams had helped her load up the saddlebags with what she'd purchased. Honestly though, she wasn't surprised, but at the least telling him of her trip meant he wouldn't attempt some surprise visit – only to bring the entire town out to search the forest for her in worry while she was gone.

 

Though, that had not meant he was opposed to telling her to check in as soon as she returned. Thankfully, even if a bit late, Sarah chose to remind him that apart from her grandfather there were only two others who knew that forest like the back of their hand. Or in the case of Titan, the bottom of his horseshoes. Still, by the time she'd returned to the road, closing the gate off behind her and securing her keys within a smaller pouch near the front of the saddle; she'd already lost a good amount of time to get where she intended to go. Her favorite place within the forest of her grandfather's estate was one she'd not visited since the news of her parents accident had reached them. Leaning over in her saddle to stroke along Titan's mane she whispered gently of where they were going, receiving a small nicker from the stallion as he turned towards the small path that would eventually lead them there.

 

With a steady pace, mostly kept to a minimum due to new foliage sprouting up over the years, Emily and Titan followed what they could of the path before she began taking mental notes of familiar rocks and old trees in an effort to be certain they were still heading the right way. She knew the forest, as did Titan, but this route in particular had grown over more and more the further they'd gone. Considering how worried Adams had been, she wasn't about to actually give him a reason to send out a search party by being careless. Riding on for an hour or so, the suns light finally began to dwindle into a late afternoon haze of orange cream behind the clouds. Emily had Titan pick up his pace as she finally spotted the old stones she'd been looking for peaking up in the distance behind the trees.

 

That spot in particular was one she'd never been allowed to venture to alone as a child, but if there was one spot her grandfather would wish her to visit, the old ruins would be it. Strange, she thought as she carefully maneuvered Titan to avoid branches that would dip too low and obstruct their path, she'd always wondered just what in the world those were from. Though, of all the stories her grandfather would tell her, that was one he'd remained tightly lipped about, saying only that it was a remnant of their ancestors and nothing more. Remnant or not, the entire area was lovely. Crumbled stone that had long since fallen to the forest floor had given birth to moss, and while aged the areas of the small tower that still stood provided enough shelter to camp out in. One could look out at night, unobstructed by the trees, and see every star twinkling overhead. Vines would find their way up the side of the sun-bleached stone, flowers would sprout along in patches of vivid colors, contrasting against the thickened grass that was everywhere to be seen.

 

Yet, in the far back gardens, or so she'd always thought at least, of the ruin was a small dip in the soil. One that had always perked her curiosity as nothing would grow within it, but all sorts of things grew around it. She always thought it was as if the fauna itself wished to create and keep this perfect circular patch of earth, and thanks to her grandfathers tales she'd imagined it to be a fairy fountain that had long since dried up. Sighing softly at the memory, she smiled to herself as the path cleared ahead. That alone was proof that perhaps she'd not entirely lost what imaginative hope she had, as it was something she'd nearly forgotten until she'd chosen to return.

 

It made her wonder if that was exactly the sort of thing her grandfather had been hopeful of in asking her to seek out magic. To him the gift of imagination was perhaps the most magical thing this world had to offer. Though, logically in some way or another, she figured he was probably right. It was only imagination that could lead a child to chase around an invisible fairy for hours on end. Reality on the other hand? That was a far more bitter pill to swallow, and one she quickly pushed from her mind the moment she realized the route it had chosen to take in her musings as she'd rode along.

 

Finding the entrance with relative ease, she had Titan walk her towards a pile of stone. Testing her footing on it first to be sure it wouldn't just crumble, she sighed as she finally dismounted the friesian. Feeling her lower back twitch with a small thrum of pain, she made a mental note to take him out for more rides from this point onward. He missed it, and in truth, so had she. Looking up to her horse, she smiled softly as she took his reigns to lead him a little ways into the crumbled ruins, knowing a stream would not be far off for him to drink from.

 

“That's what I get for not riding you as much lately, isn't it?” She asked, as she lead him on in a slow pace. Glancing further up, she sighed as she took note of the dim purple color of the sky overhead. It was almost dark, and really after running as late as they had, she was surprised they'd made it before dusk had settled in. “You think Adams will take it upon himself to come looking for me?” She asked again with a small laugh. “Honestly, I hope Sarah throttles him if he tries. We'll be just fine out here, and at least I don't feel like I'm suffocating in that house anymore.”

 

She released his reigns, letting him trot on ahead to the stream as she looked around the area to the newly grown plants that had not been there the last time she'd visited. Or, at least she didn't think they had been. Settling down against a fallen stone, weather worn but good as any of a place to rest, she smiled sadly at the beautiful landscape; wishing she'd arrived sooner to truly take in the full picture with the suns light overhead. But, if wishes were fishes, she was certain she'd never starve from the multitude of those she'd made as a little girl.

 

Looking to the small clearing near the stream, she let her mind wander to the last time she'd come here. Picturing herself as a bright and happy little girl as she ran around with a stick pretending she was within the Kokiri Forest learning to fight. Not far off she'd built up a makeshift house out of the longer sticks and leaves that she'd found – claiming it to be her tree house where the fairy would wake her up and tell her it was time to be a hero. She laughed, a sad sound, but one that was in tune at least with her feelings. That had been the last time she'd come here, acting out the beginning part of her grandfather's story of the Ocarina of Time. She'd been so happy when the butterflies had come out, preferring to look at them for guidance as she played. She liked to picture them as fairy's, chasing them around. Though, always careful not to touch them – worried she would crush their delicate wings. Her grandfather had sat not far off from where she was now, smiling as he'd watched her play, and from time to time, reminding her of what would happen next when she'd get too carried away with chasing fairies.

 

It had been one of many happier days in her life, only for them to return the next morning to the old house, and for her world to be shattered. Her father and mother had gone away, business taking them out further into the countryside. She knew now of course, that she could not be mad at them for breaking their promise to safely return her. Death was an uncontrollable thing, but back then she'd been a mess of emotions that she'd not been able to fully process. She'd stopped looking for fairies, stopped dreaming of heroes, and felt the weight of reality hit her far harder than any child that age ever should. Her grandfather had done everything he could to try and ease her unsteady grieving, but by her birthday he'd given in to her claims of not wanting to hear fables anymore.

 

Looking back on it now, she realized in full just how much that had likely hurt on his end. And as she shifted herself down from the rock to instead rest in the grass against it, she tilted back her head as she looked to the stars finally showing in the sky above her. Wishing she had stayed awake to at least hear his tale of the Twilight Princess one last time, she closed her eyes as she slowly began to doze off.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++

 

“You're late,” a soft voice spoke through the thickened fog around her.

 

Emily looked to her left, right, front, and back, in an effort to find its source. But all she could make out was a white fog, and the grass beneath her feet.

 

“I've been waiting for you for some time now, and it would seem that you have finally arrived.”

 

Finding it more strange that she didn't feel as freaked out as she rightly knew she should, Emily shifted on her feet nervously. “Who's there?”

 

At the question, the fog began to lift, forming a pathway of hearty green grass leading to the hem of a long dress. Pink, gold, and white, silk, with a symbol at the sash that had her heart near leaping from her chest in a moment of panic. Trailing her eyes upward, green met blue as she took in the face of someone she'd once only pretended to have ever seen.

 

“I'm dreaming,” she said to herself. “I have to be.” Pinching her arm, only to wince and find the Princess had not left, nor had she woken up; Emily tried again, letting out a small grunt of pain before letting her arm go to rub the reddened skin. “I am dreaming right?” She asked in further disbelief.

 

With a soft smile at pinked lips, Princess Zelda inclined her head politely. “You are,” she replied, only for her smile to fade as she sighed out. “And yet, you are not.” Gesturing towards Emily with a demure hand covered in a silken white glove that reached over her elbow, her head shook lightly. “There is no other way now than the way that has been presented. For that I am sorry, but there are things you must know, and it is too dangerous for me to seek you out in person.”

 

Quirking a disbelieving brow at what had to be the strangest dream she'd ever had, including the one about flying cows dropping milk bombs; Emily took an uneasy step back. “Well, grandfather wanted me to regain my imagination, and here it certainly is,” she commented as she eyed the Princess with a small hint of mistrust. “A dream, and not a dream?” She questioned, all seriousness in her tone now as she could near feel the warmth in the air around them, smell the grass itself beneath her feet, and for the life of her she couldn't believe she'd be able to dream of Zelda in such a way. Descriptive tales and childhood play aside, she'd never once dreamed of the pointy eared Hylian Princess before. Ever. “Why -”

 

“Because your grandfather saw to it that you would be able to see me when you arrived,” Zelda answered, this time near making her heart stop its rhythmic beating all together. Golden brows pulled tightly into a look of concern as she watched Emily gape at her further. “He was unable to tell you himself then?” As the question was voiced, only to receive a slightly croaked out huff from the raven haired girl in front of her – the Princess hummed, allowing her expression to soften in understanding. “You, Emily, were sent into the forest to meet with me. It is no longer safe for you to remain within that house, for the evil that has already managed to seep its way in once has grown agitated. Soon, what barriers your grandfather placed upon the mirror will fall, and if you are there when it does – All will be lost.”

 

Looking around herself once more, still seeing nothing but white fog, grass, and apparently Princess Zelda smiling kindly at her in her moment of shock – Emily took a tentative step forward. “What mirror? What evil? What – what happened to my grandfather?!”

 

She'd not meant for the last question to come out as harshly as it had, but at that moment she could scarcely care if it did or not. If this were just a dream, then she'd receive no real answers, as her own mind had none to give to any of those questions.

 

Slowly pulling her hand back to her side, Zelda looked to her left as the fog cleared further showing the visage of a large mirror. Framed in a golden trim, at the very top sat the crest of the royal family of Hyrule, and just above the eagle like crest was the symbol of the legendary Triforce. The glass itself, rippled as if it were made of water before a great plain was shown, it rippled again to now show a forest, and once more to show a rocky mountainside.

 

“The mirror,” she began. “Is a way long since created to ensure communication was not lost between the realm of Hyrule, and the world you live in. Your people were sent there for both their own protection, and for the protection of Hyrule itself.” Looking back to Emily, Zelda's blue eyes held sorrow as she continued. “My own ancestor, as my name has been passed down, once reset the flow of time. In doing so she found that many things came along with such a spell, one of them was the revival of the Seers.”

 

Pausing for a moment she took a near steadying breath as she clasped her hands in front of her.

 

“There is a known legend among my family, one that has not been recorded in order to ensure the utmost secrecy should the powers of darkness come to seek a foothold. It is known as The Book of Fate. Your people, those with the gift of impeccable foresight, were sent into another world by my own ancestors after that great battle unfolded. It was done to keep both them safe, as well as Hyrule itself. The book, as it was not written within, was kept within Hyrule. Guarded and protected there throughout the ages. For a time it was housed within the Sacred Realm, but as I'm sure you know, that is where evil constantly seeks to gain ground. So it was moved, sealed away in a place none could ever reach – Until now. My ancestors believed allowing it to pass into the other world was unwise. But in doing so they have unfortunately succeeded in doing little more than make it so the forces of evil seek both the book, and a Seer in which to write within it's pages.”

 

“A book?” Emily asked, arching her brow once again as she stepped forward to get a better look at the mirror. “What kind of book?” She asked again, reaching out to the visage of the mirror only to see it dissipate into nothing at her touch. Turning to look back at the Princess, she shook her head. “Are you talking about the stories my grandfather told me when I was little?”

 

Nodding her head, Zelda turned now to her right gesturing towards a new visage that began to show through the heavy fog. “There was one great family, capable of seeing into the future not unlike some of those within my own bloodline. But, they were far more powerful in their sense of foresight, becoming known amongst their kind as Seers. Their gift granted them the ability of solidifying what was written as fact within the pages of a Book of Light. When the pages are filled, the history complete, the Book of Light changes into a Book of Fate.”

 

The vision turned, the fog showing the image of a man set upon a stone throne draped with furs and silks. Within his lap sat a book bound in a silver-made leather. The pages glinted with a shine that made it seem as if they'd been made from diamonds, and beside him sat a small pedestal with ink and quill at the ready. He took up the quill then, studiously writing upon the last page within the book, closing it with a serene smile upon his face. Within his hand, as he'd placed the quill back to rest within the inkwell, the book itself begun to change. No longer bound in silver-made leather, it appeared golden, and the pages themselves continued to hold a brightness to them despite being pressed within the closed cover of their newly made golden bindings. In various shifts of the fog around his visage, Hyrule was shown. Prospering, full of life, happiness and joy. All of its citizens were at peace.

 

“The intentions of those with such a gift, was to record Hyrule's history. Their oath was never to stray from the path they had seen, and never to seek the use of the book as a means to record their own desired outcomes. If one ever did -”

 

The man's throne tuned around, and a new one was shown with a silver-made book just like the last had once held. He'd plucked his own quill up, and began writing near frantically. The more he continued scribbling out words, the further a dark aura began to surround him. The pages of the book itself began rotting, and the once silver-made binding of it started to stain with a sickly black color. The fog shifted again, the same places shown moments ago were depicted once more – Though, this time, they were full of darkness and perpetual evil. Suffering plagued the people of Hyrule, death, pestilence, and never ending sorrow was all to be seen within the images.

 

“The results would be catastrophic,” Zelda finished in a quiet whisper. The one who had just been writing appeared again. This time his visage was tainted just as the landscape had been, and the book within his hands had a glow of darkened purple wafting from its now yellow-crusted pages. “The Book of Light will become a Book of Darkness, and once it is finished -” The near scaly old man closed the book with a resounding snap of its blackened leather cover. “It too becomes a Book of Fate, irreversible, and every bit as tainted as the very world around it will forevermore be.”

 

Finding herself now standing closer to the Princess than she'd really meant to be, Emily swallowed down her feelings of dread as she watched what had to be Hyrule itself become consumed with evil. Fires rose over the vision, obscuring the view before it dissipated to leave the white fog in its wake.

 

“So the stories that I know, they've already been fully recorded? Or are they just things that others in my family have – seen, over the years?” She couldn't believe what she was hearing, couldn't even fathom what was happening really. Her imagination had once gone wild as any child's would, but all of this? It wasn't exactly something she'd conceived on a whimsical day of playing with butterflies.

 

Regarding her with a slight incline of her head, the Princess offered her another kind smile. “There are four that exist from the olden times. Though, I assume the records of which were recorded by your own bloodline after they had left. As for the others, they too have not been scrawled into a Book of Light. I believe that it is because of this that the battle with darkness continues to reset itself. Until the war is won, and solidified in a way that is impossible to undo – evil will continue to return in an effort to claim power over Hyrule. This time, like many before it, that evil has manifested itself in the form of Ganondorf the -”

 

“Gerudo King of Thieves,” Emily finished for her, breathing out his name as a cold chill ran down her spine. One that she felt far more vividly than she thought possible while standing within a dream world. Of course, the Princess beside her was most certainly her first clue that this wasn't a normal dream in the slightest. “What -” She shook her head as her voice trailed off. Question upon question began to burn at her lips but the most important one she could think to ask was the first that slipped past. “What happened to my grandfather?” This time it came out as no more than a gentle whisper.

 

“While I am still unsure of exactly how Ganondorf came to learn of the book, I am aware of what he intends to do once he finds it,” Zelda began as she gestured yet again. A new visage came, and with it the sight of the most powerful force in all of Hyrule casting a golden tricolor light brightly against the darkness around it. “Seeking the Triforce, he found himself unable to enter the Sacred Realm, for as you know those of an evil intent can not cross its threshold so easily. It was during his efforts to find a way into that place known as the Sacred Realm, that he somehow discovered the existence of the Book of Light. He sought it out immediately, only to find he could not claim it.”

 

She smiled far more widely this time, clearly amused as the vision changed to show the Gerudo King himself being forced back by a blast of pure magical light. Frustrated, and certainly enraged, Ganondorf had stomped around to unleash his anger upon his own minions who cowered at his feet.

 

“The temples that work as guardians of it would not allow him entrance. For only one who is worthy may attempt to pass the trials within from each before seeking the book itself. In his rage at such a hindrance, he sent forth his own tainted magic to the temples. Setting traps that would in turn hinder any who may try to obtain the book before he could.”

 

The vision of the large Gerudo King twisted into a vision of each temple, all of which went from looking peaceful – to bearing the very same tainted appearance as the Hyrule she'd shown in her 'what if' scenario. The forests trees began to shrivel into blackened husks, the soil itself at their rooted trunks turned to ash. The clear blue waters that flowed out into the sea grew murky and unclean, as the fish within it rotted away into skeletal creatures that ate at anything living that dared enter their waters. The natural smoke from the great mountain twirled into a noxious gas, sickly yellow-green in color, as the lava that churned within its depths shook violently in a threat to erupt.

 

Waving her hand to dismiss the sight of it all, Zelda faced her again, now looking far more grim as she processed her thoughts carefully before putting them to voice. “Your grandfather was the last in your bloodline with the gift. The last who could write within the pages of the Book of Light. Ganondorf sought to take him, to use him as a means to force his way inside of the temples. But he neglected to consider the very thing he wanted him for -” She trailed off for a moment, intently looking at Emily, and waiting for her to connect the dots.

 

“His – sight?” She queried, only for realization to dawn on her and pull her features into a pale look of shock. “He killed him,” she whispered, looking back to where the mirror had once appeared only to swallow thickly. “So then, grandfather, he didn't just know he would die. He knew Ganondorf would – But, why?”

 

“Because the gift no longer resides within him,” Zelda answered slowly. “He made certain that before Ganondorf was able to show himself – he had both contacted me to warn me of his attempt, as well as passed his abilities on to one who could use them in the fight ahead. One who was young enough in spirit, body, and mind, to make the journey needed, and to see to it that Ganondorf did not obtain that which he desires most.” Reaching out to place a gentle hand to Emily's shoulder as her eyes welled with tears unshed, Zelda held her gaze steadily with a resolved show of compassion for the young woman who had been thrust into a role she clearly had not expected. “He passed his gift on to you.”

 

Immediately taking a step back again at her words, Zelda released Emily to allow her the space she needed. Panic had twisted her features, her green eyes full of the same disbelief she'd held when she'd first seen the Princess, and she shook her head as if denying it all. “That's not possible,” she said firmly. “It isn't. Magic doesn't exist! Dreams like this could just be the work of my old overactive imagination coming back to get the better of me! That's it, isn't it? You're just my subconscious, playing tricks on myself,” she accused further, unwilling or unable to accept any of what she'd been told.

 

“Your grandfather, did he not leave you a missive warning you to stay away from that room?” Zelda pressed, stepping closer to her as she spoke. “In your time spent alone since his passing, have you not felt a heavy presence that did not coincide with your grief? Have you not felt as though eyes were upon you when you knew no other was at your side?” Seeing fear reflecting now within Emily's eyes, Zelda sighed softly. “I am real, and while this is a dream, it is also both my own, and your reality. The threads of fate hold many possible paths, ones that wind and turn themselves along with those of others as we move forward in our lives. Only we are able to chose the route we take. But if you return to that house, your thread will forever be trapped, as Ganondorf will have you where he wants you. He will force you to use the abilities your grandfather gave his life to safeguard to taint the Book of Light with his own desires.” Slowly, she shook her head in warning. “You can not allow him to do so.”

 

“I -” Emily wasn't entirely sure what to say to that now. Any of it at this point really.

 

After all, all that she'd ever known of Hyrule were the stories she'd hear as a child. She'd never seen proof of its existence. Nor had she ever heard her grandfather speak of such a history regarding their own family. But then, had he not told her in his letter she would meet a friend of his? One who no matter how strange the explanation would seem, was not lying to her in the slightest?

 

“I don't know how to -” She didn't know how to do any of the things her grandfather apparently had known how to do. “I only know the stories themselves, nothing more. How am I supposed to learn how to master some skill when I'd never even been taught how to use it?”

 

With a near relieved look on her face, Zelda let out another small sigh, though this time it was less burdened with worry. “Light will always find a way to surpass the darkness,” she answered, or at least she seemed to think she had.

 

Emily had quirked a brow at her, about to open her mouth in an attempt for a bit more clarification on the matter before the Princess' face twisted into an expression of fear.

 

“No,” she whispered, looking around herself quickly almost the same way Emily had when she'd first heard her voice through the fog. “He's onto us, you must leave, now!” Lifting her hand again, the mirror she'd summoned returned. “Step through, and awaken! There are those within the forest who can show you the way. But you must hurry! If his magic catches you, touches you at all, he will drag you back and all will be lost!”

 

Worried now more than ever, Emily headed to the mirror, pausing to look back over her shoulder to the Princess. “I don't really have a choice here, do I?” She scoffed at her own question, asked without truly needing an answer. “But - what about you?”

 

“For now, it is not me he is after,” she replied. “Do not worry, I am safe where he can not reach, and there is one who will stand as your guardian on the journey ahead. We will meet again Seer, this I promise.” Giving her one last smile, she gestured hurriedly towards the mirror. “Now go!”

 

Needing no further instruction, Emily turned back towards the mirror seeing herself sleeping against an old stone within the forest. Terrified, but believing that she had every reason to be, she stepped through the glass, leaving a ripple in its surface behind her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this makes sense to anyone who reads this. Using the time line given to us by Nintendo, I crated this idea, and modified it when I realized I had initially bit off more than I could chew as all of the stories from the collection of games would be far too much. So on that front, that is why this essentially follows the middle branch they gave us. Or at the least, will make references only to that particular line of it. Not everything is fully explained here, at least not yet, but eventually it will be – and by then all of it should make sense.


	4. Finding Magic... And Cookies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Navi makes a cameo here, as Link's back story for this doesn't have him set with a fairy companion due to – reasons and things. Still, not a main character or not, in this story she does indeed exist as I couldn't leave that bossy fairy out of this once the idea for her creeped its way into my head.

Tired mossy green eyes fluttered open as Emily took in a sharp breath. Hearing Titan nickering beside her, his hooves sidestepping again in worry; she looked up to find him near standing over her were it not for the rock she leaned against. His head cocked here and there, ears turning wildly in near half hazard directions. He could sense something, and as she began to use the stone behind her as leverage to stand, she realized – she could too. It was similar to the feeling she'd had since her grandfather had died, not of the normal sort like grief of loss, but the one that had haunted her while she was in the house. The very one in fact that kept her eyes away from that hallway, and her feet from carrying her down it. Grabbing up her backpack, she slipped her arms through the straps and climbed onto the stone, using it to mount Titan's back. Looking around herself, the darkness of the forest around her felt far colder than it should in the summer months. But stranger still, she could not see a thing even with the moon above granting some semblance of light on the trees.

 

Scanning the area, for anything really, a sign of any kind that would tell her where to go; she stopped when she caught sight of what looked like pale flickering blue light around the bend of the stream. Figuring if dark magic was about to come calling it wouldn't be bright and shiny, she took her chances, pulling Titans reigns to direct him towards the light. The horse, it seemed, was quick to agree the moment his dark brown eyes had caught it as well. She'd not even given him a whisper meant to ease him into her choice to go before he'd started moving. The moment he did, somewhere behind them she could hear an odd scraping sound that Titan certainly had not missed either. Rearing up, his nostrils flared before he took off like a shot from a hunting rifle towards that tiny light shimmering through the trees. As he sped along the forest, her feet firmly held within the stirrups, and her hands clutched at both his reigns and the hilt of his saddle. If she fell off now she'd crack her skull on the stones that he'd begun leaping over in his attempt to escape whatever it was behind them. Or worse.

 

Ducking her body as lowly as she could to his back in effort to maintain balance, she dared to glance back behind them; only for her legs to tighten further around the horses belly to spur him on. Behind them hazy shadows with red eyes glided along the forest floor pursuing them, and in that instant whatever doubt she still had that her dream really wasn't a dream at all died. The shadows themselves carried a haunting laugh in their wake, and as the trees began to thin around the old forest ruin, she could make out their shapes beneath the dim glow of the moon overhead. Purple smoke shielded them from the full effects of the light, but the blades they carried as they swept over the ground like a fog were gripped by skeletal hands.

 

As Titan veered around another bend, still following the light ahead, she turned forward begging him to keep going as her voice cracked in fear at what she'd seen. For Titan's part, he did so, though vaguely she knew it wasn't simply because she'd asked him to. A shriek sounded from behind them, piercing the air so loudly she nearly let go of Titan's saddle to hold to her ears and muffle its sound. It was then that the blue light ahead was in near full view, and as Titan cleared another set of fallen stones, the light enveloped them only for the shriek to sound again. To her initial dismay, Titan had reared again, this time in effort to stop. The force of the sudden jolted movement had her closing her eyes tightly as she held as firmly as possible to him, hearing him whinny out loudly before huffing a snort as his front hooves connected again with the forest floor. Eyes still closed, she could make out a small glow that was bright enough to shine near through her eye lids.

 

“Hello?” A chiming voice echoed around her, the sound nearly as bright as the light itself as Emily shook within her position on Titan's back. “Hey!! Listen!!”

 

With a gasp, the voice registered in her mind as something she should find familiar, at least within the context of it's demandingly cheerfully posed words. Opening her eyes, at first, lead her to want to shut them again. “Too bright,” she murmured with a shake of her head.

 

A huff, accompanied by the near jingling sound of miniature bells, sounded now to her left. “You're late,” the voice replied, almost tartly as if it meant to chastise her. “Our light holds back the shadows here, but only for so long. Open your eyes girl! Hey!! Come on, don't flake out on me now!” As Emily finally adjusted to the brightness around her, her eyes slowly taking in the scene it was as if they'd not been outside in the middle of the night at all. In fact, their location she knew all too well, and the sight she'd been greeted with had her letting out another gasp of quiet awe. “You can't move forward when your eyes are shut!”

 

In front of her face, the smallest ball of blue light fluttered with near transparent silver wings. Delicate, beautiful, and winding with the light show of veins within like those found on the leaves of old oak trees. “A – fairy?” She managed to say, though as she looked past the blue fairy in front of her, she saw far more behind it.

 

The small dip of land, the very place she once would pretend was an old fairy fountain from the stories, was indeed now filled with a crystalline water that rippled with gentle waves from its center. Hovering above it, in various colors were other fairies. Each unique, and all shining brightly enough that she realized just what had stopped her pursuers from venturing after them further. Looking over her shoulder she could see the eyes hovering along the obvious boundary set, the light of the fairies within the fountain held back their darkness; and they hissed and sneered at it with a venomous hatred.

 

Turning back to the fairies, or more specifically the one who'd chosen to address her, she swallowed down her fear for the moment. “Navi?” She questioned slowly, only to hear a jingled chime as the fairy shook with what almost seemed to be laughter.

 

“Yes,” it replied after a moment further of giggling at her wide eyes. “You know it from tales of old don't you?” Navi asked, jingling again before fluttering around Titan's face – making the horse snort at it. The wind he'd apparently expelled from his nostrils sent her flying back before she shook once more in effort to right herself from flying upside down. “How rude!”

 

“Uh,” Emily began, wondering just how long exactly their light was meant to last as she looked back over her shoulder seeing the shadow creatures advancing slowly as the fairy fountain began to slowly dim. “What am I supposed to do now?” She asked, looking around the area all there was to be seen was bright flowers, grass, water, and more fairies.

 

Navi let out an abrupt sort of jingle at the question, turning towards the fading barrier before moving to flutter along with the others over the fairy fountain. “Dive!” She shouted, leaving Emily to gape at her incredulously. She knew how shallow that pond really was, as she'd played in it before it had ever been filled with water. Navi, however, wasn't going to have any back talk on the matter. “You must dive in! Like the mirror the Princess presented you with when she met you, you will pass through it!” Jingling in alarm now, as her friends began to forcibly sputter in effort to hold their glow brightly, she fluttered back to Emily and Titan. “Hurry!!!”

 

Before Emily could respond, Navi flew behind her, smacking herself into Titan's hindquarters and spurring the large stallion into motion. Rushing forward, straight for the pond, Titan jumped with Emily in tow, his hooves connecting with the center of the pool sending water flying in their wake. As the water flying up to greet the pair began to glow with a soft golden aura, Navi called out to the young woman one last time.

 

“Do not fear,” she said. “The Hero chosen by the Princess herself will find you!”

 

As the pair magically disappeared within the water, Navi called out to the other fairies gathered. All of them taking their cue and flying off into the forest, leaving the pond to dry up – closing off the portal they'd created in effort to protect the Seer from the evil King. When the shadows finally reached it's edge, they let out a shriek of rage, as the very soil that had just been holding the water of the pool, had already dried, and the fairies who had aided their target in her escape were long gone.

 

++++++++++++++++++++

 

The world went upside down as Titan had leapt into the water. Emily's stomach churned at the motion seeing the sky above her, though decidedly below her, all before everything shifted to right itself. Despite knowing they'd been drenched from the water rising around them in their grand exit, she curiously found herself and Titan both were dry. As if never touching the pools liquid surface when they'd broken through it. As she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the stallions neck to take in deep steadying breaths, and reel her stomach in before she upchucked all over the place, her eyes caught sight of the world around them further. And with a hesitant blink, as if expecting it all to disappear, she realized that not only were they in a different forest – But it was daytime now as well. The ruins that had been around them, the fairy fountain too, all of it was gone and had been replaced with surroundings unfamiliar to her. Titan nickered softly as his hooves cleared the small pool of water, mossy stones rested here and there within its surface, and fish darted away from the disturbance of his movements. Looking over her shoulder, she found it was no more than a regular pond, as a frog peered up from beneath a lily pad to croak loudly at the intruders.

 

Letting out a small sigh, the situation she'd found herself in began to barrel into her mind with enough force she swore were it physical – she'd go flying from Titan's back to land in the pond. Swaying a bit in the saddle, she almost did fall as her grip finally relented in its fierce hold on the leather hilt. Overwhelmed, and completely out of her own personal depth, she let Titan go wherever it was he saw fit to staring blankly now at the trees around her.

 

She'd lost her grandfather to a man who by all logical reasoning should not even exist. Went into the forest for a camping trip of sorts to honor his memory, as he'd strangely requested within a letter he'd written before he'd died. Dreamed of a Princess who just as the Gerudo King, should also not exist. Awoke to find herself being hunted down by what she could only think to describe as some sort of wraith or ghostly demons composed of purple fog. Ran into a place she'd once pretended to be a fairy fountain, only to find it was an actual fairy fountain. Jumped into its sparkling waters, only to be flipped upside down and then set right again, landing in a forest that was decidedly not the one she'd been in from the start. Add in the story she'd been told by the Princess herself, the supposed magical gift of foresight she now had, and the emotional baggage she'd been carrying since the night her grandfather's body was found...

 

In all she felt like she'd completely lost her marbles.

 

Reaching over, she pinched her arm just as she had during her dream-chat with Zelda, feeling an additional sting through the leather of her riding jacket. Looking down, she pulled the edge of the sleeve up to her elbow, seeing her skin slightly puckered, and showing more than just one mark of reddened angry flesh. It was real. All of this was very, very, very real. And with that thought knocking all the others from her blurry mind, she let out a gasp of shock at all of it. The feather light sound had Titan's ears twitching, and the large horse stopped in his slow wandering pace to look over his shoulder at her. Seeing her horse staring back at her, Emily swallowed thickly, shaking her head at him as if he'd understand what she meant. To her surprise, he actually seemed to; flicking his head up and down just once in a nod before he turned around again to continue his slow pace through the forest.

 

“Even my horse is telling me this is real,” she muttered to herself in disbelief, as she finally began to snap out of her daze and truly take a closer look at the forest around them further.

 

The light that shined down overhead was brilliant, and as it entered through the thick canopy of trees its rays reflected within beads of dew still fresh within the hearty grass. Truly, the trees themselves were remarkable. Thick and hearty, many of their trunks were near as wide as Titan was long. The branches above carried leaves of various shades of green, all thickly grown enough that she idly wondered how rain would even manage to seep through them and water the ground they grew upon. Various small forms of wildlife would poke their heads out here and there as well. Squirrels, birds that would flutter from tree to tree, rabbits who'd hop off elsewhere the moment they felt the need. Everything was alive, richly so, and Emily wound up being lost in simply looking to see all she could around her. Enough so to the point, that when Titan had stopped – she'd hardly noticed it for a few moments as she caught sight of a hawk that flew above them scanning the treetops.

 

When she did notice, the hawk gone now as it had quickly changed its route heading off; she looked forward to a clearing. Not seeing anything short of a few old tree stumps, and light patches of dirt where the grass had thinned, she gently gestured with Titan's reigns for him to continue on. Almost hesitantly, his legs began to move again, and she wondered if he was lagging after the race they'd been in to even safely reach the fairy fountain.

 

“Come on Titan,” she cooed as gently as she could. “We need to find our way out of here. Then we can rest and -” Her words fell short as the bushes along the treeline began to shake, disturbed by something or another; and in turn disturbing Titan as he stopped once more. “Wolfos?” She wondered out loud to herself, unsure what may or may not be within the forest short of what she'd heard in a gathered collection of what she'd once only thought to be fairy tales. “Please don't be stalfos, wolfos, or anything else that will want us dead for that matter.”

 

A clicking sound, not unlike that of a tongue against teeth, echoed out. Pulling her attention towards the stumps, she stared blankly at what she knew without a doubt were children of the forest. Or more to the point, the lost children of the forest. Imps, childlike tricksters known in every tale by the same defining name; Skull Kids. A large group of which that had slipped past her as she'd stared at the bushes, and each one wearing similar garb to that of the tales she had heard. Various wide brim hats that blocked the sun from their glowing yellow eyes, though different in that some were fashioned of leaves while others were of grass or cat tails from the ponds. Torn tunics that hung low enough to reach near their knees, various colors and some even painted with designs of their choosing. Curved toed shoes, likely stolen from travelers such as herself in fact, as some of them had additional trappings in the form of leather straps that forcibly held them up around their ankles. A few of them wore gloves, finger-less or otherwise. While others let their darkened pointed fingers show; preferring wraps of fabric over their wrists, and even what appeared to be bandages on one.

 

But of all of the features the group had as a collective whole, one struck out more than their obtusely yellow-orange beaks; their skin. It looked more like charred wood, cracks showing along their arms and legs, and their rounded faces as well. Dark enough in color that beneath the hats they wore on their head – One would think, in the right lighting, they had no faces to speak of. Some had taken the same route as those who had painted their clothes with odd designs, as a few had various swathing lines and patterns adorned on their cheeks or around their eyes. They were, remarkable really, and as she took in every feature she could – Her mind pointedly chose to remind her of one very important aspect of the skull kids. Their absolute fear, and distrust of adults, meant they had a tendency to attack them on sight.

 

“Oh, this isn't good,” she whispered so quietly she doubted even Titan would hear her.

 

For a moment the skull kids merely cocked their heads from side to side, the various dried foliage of their hats – some even who had grass sticking out from their tunics at their shoulders – crunched at the motion. Their golden eyes moved, first to her, then to Titan, and back around once more. One, though for the life of her she couldn't place which one, clicked their tongue again. The sound came out in various patterns, but in the end it all sounded hurried, and unfortunately for Emily; irritated. The group began to fan out then, circling around Emily and Titan in effort to block them from leaving the clearing.

 

Titan, unimpressed considering what he'd already run from earlier, reared his front legs up in warning. In the process, Emily nearly fell from his back as she'd been too preoccupied with keeping her eye out on those who had come around from behind them to hold as tightly as she rightly should have. The skull kids, choosing to be mindful of the large stallion, backed away just enough to keep it from becoming further riled. However, at seeing the horses intentions to ward them away, each began to produce a weapon from behind their backs. Some had obvious clubs fashioned from the forests trees, others took to using their lengthened flutes as if they were sticks, and a few of them – actually had rusted silverware in their hands.

 

“Wait!” Emily shouted out, be it to Titan or the skull kids her mind had not entirely decided before she'd spoken. Either way, she'd caught their collective attention as she passively lifted her hands up and attempted to think quickly on what further to add to that before they ignored her entirely. “You're all – kids, right?” With such a brilliant question poised, she nearly smacked herself in the face for it. Clearly they were still kids, as it was part of their own lore that had been forever seared in her memory through the stories she'd been told. “Do you -”

 

 _Think! Think! THINK!!_ Her mind shouted at her, only for it to clear when she'd mentally gone down the list of things she knew of that small kids happened to fancy. _Treats!_

 

“Do you like treats?” She finally finished her sentence, watching them wearily as they each began cocking their heads again like the wobbling bobble-head Mrs. Flora kept in her shop. “I have some,” she added nervously. “I'd be willing to share them with you.”

 

The entire clearing went silent as each of them appeared to mentally debate the matter. Some still hefted their bizarre form of weaponry, while others stared, and a few curiously tapped a long finger to their chin in obvious curiosity to the offer. For a moment, she thought perhaps her offer would be well received, and her head would not be smashed in by the various items they held within their grasp. Of course, that all changed when further clicking started all over again, and each and every single one of them began shaking their heads at her. Stalking forward again, their chosen weapons held high, the skull kids renewed their attempt at an assault on the adult who'd dared to come into their forest. Titan attempted to scare them off again, whinnying in warning, only to go ignored as they returned his distress with an echoing laughter. Four feet, three feet, two feet, then one. They all sniggered in unison then, holding their weapons above their heads preparing for a group strike.

 

“Treats? Snacks?” A little voice questioned politely, stopping the assault as all present turned to look to another group of three that had found its way into the small clearing.

 

Though of them all, it was obvious as to whom had spoken. Standing tall despite his short stature on the middle stump, another skull kid canted his head curiously as he looked to Emily, and completely ignored the others gathered around her.

 

“You have snacks?” He asked again, tilting his head back to the other side as his finger-less gloved hands toyed with the small flute he carried. “You share with skull kids?”

 

“Lies!” One of those gathered around her shouted out, hefting up a large rusted spoon meant for cooking in a pot, and shaking it in annoyance at the intrusion. “Adult lies!”

 

“What if its not?” The interloper questioned. “Snacks are good,” he commented, tilting his head once more as he continued to eye Emily with interest. “Better than tree-bark.”

 

Taking further inspection of this new skull kid, Emily found his attire to be a little more loosely fit to his form. His size had him, at least by human standards, at about the age of six. His own voice too, had rung out a little more high in pitch than the taller one that had shouted back. The dried grass hat he wore near dwarfed him further as well, and he begun reaching up with his little flute to tilt it back so he could continue to stare at her. The second time he did, she saw a bright blue swathe of paint over the beak like mouth he had, and beneath it running down his chin was a matching stripe of the same color.

 

“Its not a lie,” Emily finally answered, feeling the tension radiating off of those surrounding her. “I like snacks. And I brought along some for my journey,” she added in explanation, as anyone could and probably would say they liked snacks.

 

None the less, her answer seemed to quirk further interest from the smaller skull kid. Those who had arrived with him began gesturing for the others to come back towards the stumps. And strangely, they did, save for a few stragglers who looked to be guarding her so she'd not just ride off without handing over the snacks.

 

Waving a hand towards her, beckoning her to approach, the smaller ones beaked mouth curved some. “Snacks! Will you give them to the skull kids?” He asked happily.

 

Debating for a moment, Emily wondered if she did run, just where it was exactly that she could possibly run off to without them being able to find her again anyway. She didn't know these woods, and while it was Hyrule, the problem was it was a new one she'd not heard of in her grandfather's tales before. It had to be, after all with each tale areas of Hyrule would change, shift. In the end, no two tales were ever the same even if some of the regions would hold to their previously gifted namesakes. So, she did the only thing she could think to do; offering a trade.

 

“I have them, and you may have them as well. But, I need help in return.” A loud grumble came from the collective group, some whispering between themselves as their yellow eyes narrowed in her direction. “I need to know how to get out of this forest,” she added before they had time to reconsider her offer of snacks. “A simple guide to the forests edge is all I ask of you.”

 

“Why do you need guidance?” The little one asked, sounding unconvinced of her offer now. “Are you lost, then, adult?” The question was met with another wave of mischievous laughter from the others, but the little one himself was not laughing. “Why? Why are you here if you don't know your way?”

 

What a perfectly loaded question that happened to be. But something told her this little one would catch on to her if she tried to side step the answer.

 

“I -” The problem was putting it in a way that would not reveal too much, if they weren't exactly keen on caring for the world around them. “I was brought here by the Princess,” she finally answered, at a loss for what else to say that might sway them.

 

Skull kids weren't exactly revered as saints in the world of Hyrule, but they were also not entirely seen as being inherently evil like the Gerudo King was. They played tricks, and yes there was an old tale of one who took things more than just a bit too far in his antics. Scarily so. But as a collective whole she couldn't claim to entirely be able to gauge them from that alone. A new Hyrule meant the possibility of a new outlook on each of its races, and skull kids were just one of many she'd have to figure out.

 

“Princess?” The little one asked, lifting the brim of his grass hat again with his flute. “If I take you to her, will you give me snacks?” Her eyes had flickered from the others to the little one once more, nervous though she felt, she nodded in turn to his question. “I will take you,” his little smile grew just a bit further. Only to twist into a frown as the others started grumbling around him. Raising his flute he pointed it in Emily's direction. “Not an adult! Kind, like a big sister!”

 

Shifting in her saddle, Emily watched as the ones still around her relented in their watch to join the others. Reaching over into her saddlebags, she pulled out a small box of cookies she'd brought along, lifting it up to show it to them. Wide yellow eyes watched the box as she waved it to and fro, and realizing they'd not tear their gaze away from it, she smiled softly.

 

“One box for you all to share now,” she said as she tossed it towards the little one who nimbly caught it and began inspecting it in effort to get to the treats inside. “You have to be careful when opening it, otherwise the cookies will break,” she offered kindly, gesturing with her hands as if she were opening it herself in demonstration. The skull kids all made a happy sound of collective awe as the little one followed her motion to open the box, and produced a chocolate chip cookie. “There is another -” She watched as he lifted his head, a cookie already half eaten within his beaked mouth. “That will be yours to keep once I've been shown the way, safely.”

 

Jumping up and down with a second cookie in hand, the little one let out a giggle of amusement at the wide eyes of his companions who each plucked up a cookie of their own from the box. At the happy sounds made from each who took a bite, his giggle turned brighter still as he pointed to her and danced around on his little perch. “Told you! Big sister not lying!”

 


	5. Tainted Woods

Emily had been content to stay back and watch the skull kids eat their offered snack of cookies, but as it was she worried that once finished the lot of them may try to obtain more. As luck would have it though, the littlest one who had offered her the chance to bargain had snagged up another cookie before shuffling away from the group who were decidedly distracted with the plastic trappings of the container the cookies had been housed in. He stopped in front of Titan, canting his head left and right, letting out a gleeful little laugh as the horse looked down at him with an unconcerned stare.

 

“Big sister's horse is strong,” he commented, raising his hands up above his head as if gesturing to his size. “Large! Make for good travels!”

 

Emily smiled down at him from her perch upon Titan's saddle, he was an adorable little thing, even with the cracked skin resembling burnt wood. “Should we go now?” She asked as casually as she could, not wanting to make it seem like she was in too much of a hurry least she end up offending her only means of finding a way free of the forests.

 

He nodded, and strangely as he did an odd jingling sound echoed from his wide brimmed hat with the motion. “Leave before nightfall,” he said, pointing now to her with a frown. “Leave now before big sister cursed like stalfos.” He turned his back to her then, plucking his flute from his pockets as he waved a hand for her to follow. “Follow the leader, big sister, should! Hide and go seek, big sister, should not! Lost, lost, lost! Will not bode well if big sister becomes lost.”

 

Pulling Titan's reigns to get him moving after the little one, Emily tilted her head to look past Titan to the skull kid leading the pair off from the clearing. “But I'm already lost,” she replied with a small frown.

 

He shook his head, the jingling sound returning now even stronger than it had been before. “No, no, no! Not lost, big sister, have guide now! Found! Must hurry!”

 

Hearing rustling behind her, she cast a glance over her shoulder to see the two that had arrived with him earlier were following along now as well. Swallowing her apprehension at the possibilities of why, she licked her lips and turned back to continue ushering Titan to follow. “Lead on, then.”

 

A happy little tune began to flow from his flute, the small skull kid in front of her had brought it to his beaked mouth to play. Titan nickered softly upon hearing it, and he picked up speed just enough to remain close to the small cursed child as he marched in front of them. As they moved through the forest, the song playing on and on, Emily looked about the trees curiously for a time mulling over the sound of the flute, and trying to recall just why it was the melody seemed so familiar. She realized slowly, that part of her had forgotten some of what her grandfather had told her as a child. While the more pointed of facts were easy enough to recall, skull kids and what they were – for example – some of the more minuscule details had begun to fade. Pieces of a puzzle lost beneath the trappings of her own mind growing more towards the decided responsibilities of becoming an adult. She truly had cast away her child like fantasy, and she fought against the threat of tears trying to make their way to her eyes at the thought of how hard it must have been for her grandfather to watch her dismiss the tales he loved so dearly as the years went by.

 

Hours began to tick off, the procession lead by the small skull kid marching onward through the trees on a path that was only set in his mind alone. After a while, as she no longer wished to look inwardly to all of the self deprecating thoughts she'd begun to harbor, Emily sighed as she begun to pay closer attention to the forest again. The skull kid had paused in his march then, holding up a hand that made Titan stop as well, and she looked to him curiously. His spine had gone rigidly straight, head tilting this way and that as if listening to something she could not hear with avid interest. Those behind them too were looking about, their feet shuffling in place as their eyes darted over the shrubs and thickened trees.

 

“Bad, bad, bad,” the little one said tightly.

 

She'd leaned over then, thinking to ask just what it was that had gone so bad, but her words caught in her throat as her eyes finally caught sight of what he was looking at. Before them, just a few feet ahead, the trees looked to be rotting from the inside out. Leaves that were once golden, green, and vivid orange, were turning a sickened splotchy gray. The trunks and branches were splintering in some places, and from a few of them maggots twisted and curled about as if feasting on the very life of the trees themselves. It was odd, more so when she knew maggots only really ever flourished like that in the husks of dead animals, or people. But the trees it seemed, was food enough, and as she watched some of them spill out to the ground beneath them, she was no longer blind to the scorched tint of black within the soil at the trees roots. This was what Zelda had shown her, or rather, a far worse version of it all. Exactly how long had Ganondorf's power been allowed to spread across Hyrule before she'd even been sent here? Either he'd been slowly infesting the lands with his dark magic, coiling like a viper waiting to strike, or he was far more powerful than even her own mind had been capable of envisioning; even with the tales she'd been told as a child.

 

“Must take other route,” the little one said. His head turned to look up at her. “Must not touch! No good! No good!”

 

The moment he said that a breeze kicked in through the trees, scattering more of the maggots to the soil below, and as they landed the blackened ground around them began to spread. The soil, as if alive as well, started rotting further as its sickened coloration creeped in their very direction. The little one jumped back, closer now to her foot within the stirrup of her saddle, wide golden eyes looked up at her.

 

“Must go now!!”

 

Without so much as a warning he'd leaped up from the ground to land in front of her within the saddle, all while the two behind them had also jumped up to hold to the bags along Titan's sides. His strawed hat obscured her vision as he reached out to pull her hands against Titan's reigns, jerking the horse to the left of the route he had thought was best to take instead. Following his lead, as she had no other choice but to, Emily tightened her grip to the frisian's sides, spurring him to go as ordered and following the jerked commands of the skull kid precariously bouncing in place in front of her as he tugged her hands left or right. Titan's hooves rumbled against the ground, and the two holding to the saddlebags each began shouting out their own various concerns as they watched the ground behind them growing darker still. Whatever sickness was befalling the forest, it was clear that it was following them, and with howls that had risen to pierce the air of the forest around them – Emily shouted for Titan to ride ever faster.

 

The little one in front of her shouted back to the other two for them to leave, and the moment he did they propelled themselves free of Titan's sides with a quick push of their legs. Lighter now without their additional weight Titan's stride grew quicker, and Emily was given further room to sit back allowing for the skull kid to have a better go of holding on to his own position in front of her. His golden eyes began looking to and fro on their sides, catching sight of something Emily could not, and with what could only be called a grunt of irritation from the cursed child – he let go of her hands to take up his flute. The song he'd been playing earlier returned, it's melody being played faster now than it had been before despite his bouncing about as Titan leapt over a fallen log to continue onward.

 

“I can't see where to go,” Emily shouted out, worried now that she'd just end up leading them off some sort of cliff side without his help in direction.

 

To her shock, as Titan made to leap again, the skull kid further demonstrated his own dexterity by jumping up, and twirling over her head to land behind her onto Titan's hindquarters. Amazingly, he'd done so all while still playing his tune. Either he had the balance of a gymnast, or he was no ordinary skull kid. Regardless of the answer, however, Emily chose not to think further on the matter as she caught sight of blacked earth ahead of them just in time to turn Titan to the right in avoidance of it's creeping sickness. This time too, she caught sight of the wolfos who's howls were echoing from the trees. Bright red eyes, haunting and terrifying, were accompanied by large fangs and clawed paws. They'd snarled as she'd avoided their apparent trap, and the sound alone sent a jolt of further terror down her spine as the possibilities of what would happen if they were caught trickled through her mind.

 

As if summoned from her terror filled thoughts themselves, a wolfos that had managed to gain ground on them sprang out from the sidelines of the trees to give a closer chase than those she'd avoided. The skull kid's song continued on, this time growing brighter in its sound, and for a moment Emily could have sworn a green light had emanated from the small one still standing steadily upon Titan's backside as if unbothered by the jolting motion of the horses run. With a howl of pain, she looked over her shoulder just once to see the wolfos spiraling off the path they'd cut through the underbrush to slam into a tree.

 

Looking ahead again she caught sight of the darkened soil coming in from the left and the right, attempting to block them off from the pristine forest beyond its reach. Digging her heels into Titan's sides, she shouted for him to bolster his speed as much as possible, watching in horror as the landscape around them continued to decay. Titan carried onward as commanded, head dipped low as he charged, seeming to fully understand his masters plight and having no intentions of failing her – He took one final leap over the ground itself narrowly missing the tainted earth's reach as he landed with Emily and the skull kid safely in tow. The skull kid's song had finally stopped, punctuated by the howls that echoed behind them, dimming as they gained further distance between themselves and their pursuers. Slowly, Titan began to huff in exhaustion from the strain the run had put upon him, and Emily released her tightened hold in effort to allow him the chance to slow down so as not to become entirely tired out.

 

She sighed, heavily, swallowing down her terror and trying to regain a steadier heartbeat than the one that had near rivaled Titan's pace. “I think,” she huffed out through panted breaths. “I think we lost them.”

 

Leaning against the bag at her back, the skull kid slowly sat down, as he nodded his head with another jingled flutter of his straw hat. “Safe yes. How long? Not sure.” He began looking around them then, seeming to gauge where it was they'd been sent to only to reach over and tug lightly on her jacket. As she turned her head to regard him, he pointed with his flute off in the direction he felt it best to travel in now. “That way. Farm close by. Outside of forest. Play for cucco's sometimes, they like to march!”

 

Nodding her head, Emily motioned with the reigns for Titan to follow the skull kid's lead once more. The three of them traveling now in utter silence as the small one at her back kept a close watch on the trees around them.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

By the time they reached the thinning trees of the forest's outskirts, Emily could see from the hillside that there was a small village nestled in the valley below. A farm was indeed present, proving the young one at her back was indeed correct in his directional sense, dusk was settling in upon the landscape and the lights from lamps could be seen twinkling from the townspeople preparing for night to fully fall. Clicking her tongue gently at Titan, she steered him down a winding path likely made from some of the villagers themselves who traversed the outskirts of the woods for hunting or gathering wood. Titan hung his head, so tired from the extensive mix of marching on, and swiftly running, that he'd endured so far since the entire trip had begun. But regardless, he did as silently asked of him, continuing on down the pathway with a steady – albeit slow pace.

 

“Poor thing,” Emily said as she soothed a hand over his mane. “Once we get into town I'll find you a bushel of apples, and all the water you can possibly drink. Give you some rest.”

 

“Horse not built for long trips?” The little one's voice had near startled her, as he'd been so quiet over the past few hours she'd near forgotten he was even still there at all. “Looks strong, sturdy. Thought good for riding?”

 

Titan had let out a snort, apparently understanding the commentary of their strange imp of a companion, only for Emily to laugh softly. “He is, but I haven't been taking him out for long rides like I used to. Not since I got my car anyway.” She sighed then, reaching up to rub at the crick in her neck from keeping her riders posture for as long as she had. “To be honest, I'm rather wiped out now myself.”

 

“Cuh-arr?” The little one sounded out from behind her, not getting it right but at the very least trying to. “What is a cuh-arr?”

 

“It's...” Something that didn't exist here for one. Humming softly she thought of a way to explain it to the skull kid that might make some semblance of sense to him. “A car is like a carriage. Except, it doesn't need a horse to guide it.”

 

She could hear the jingle of his hat again, and giggled softly knowing he'd canted his head to stare at her curiously. “Magic?”

 

Seeing as how she wasn't entirely versed in the land of 'how cars work', she shook her head, and opted to give him about the only answer she could. “No, more like science and mechanics working together. Gears, and such.”

 

For a moment, she found herself happy to say that Adams wasn't around to point and laugh at her for that. He'd helped her pick out her car when she'd bought it, and since Sarah's father was a mechanic at a local shop, she too was far better versed in the inner workings of it all. Emily knew how to change the fluids, make it go, and make it stop. That was about it. Not that it mattered much, to her anyway. At the end of the day the town was so small most residents didn't even bother driving unless they were headed out of it. Besides, were anything to go wrong with it she knew she had Titan, and as that thought went through her mind she stroked her fingers lovingly through his mane once more. She may not know how a car works in full detail, but she knew how Titan worked. Short of her grandfather, there wasn't anyone else who could have ever claimed to understand her horse quite like she did.

 

Realizing the little one had spoken up again, she turned her head to look over her shoulder at him. “I'm sorry, what?”

 

“Science,” he repeated easily enough. “Old hag in town knows science. Knows magic. Made big kaboom! Nearly blew up whole town! Skull kids watched. Laughed! Such fun!”

 

“I -” She wasn't sure how to respond to that, so instead she let out an awkward laugh. “I don't think that's the same thing.”

 

“No explosions in cuh-arr?” He asked.

 

“Not unless...” She trailed off there, mouth going dry as an old ache returned to add to the newer one from her grandfather's passing. “Not unless something goes horribly wrong,” she whispered out softly, turning her gaze back to the path ahead.

 

For what it was worth, he seemed to catch on to her shift in mood then, no longer asking questions as they rode further on down the winding path and towards the village. It wasn't until they had nearly reached the end of it that she felt him shift behind her, watching as he made a quick leap from the back of Titan to land on a fallen log, pointing his flute out towards the final stretch of trees. He canted his head as he'd done numerous times before, looking at her with bright eyes and wiggling his flute about in his hand. Their time to part, it seemed, was now. Turning in her saddle, and ignoring the slight crack she'd earned in her back for doing so, she reached into the saddlebags to fetch out the second box of cookies she'd had on her. Tossing it through the air, she smiled as he caught it just as easily as he had before, opening it like she'd shown him earlier to pluck out a cookie and eat it with a happy little hum.

 

“Snacks good! Big sister kept promise! Skull kid not forget,” he said brightly. “Road that way,” he added, wriggling his flute once more. “Farmhouse good place. Horse rest well there. Be nice to cucco's. Bad luck otherwise!”

 

With a polite incline of her head in his direction, she smiled brightly at the skull kid. “Thank you for your help,” she said, pausing as she observed him munch further on the cookies, his flute had been set upon his lap as his hands worked to dig into the box for more. “Pan...”

 

Golden eyes looked up, crumbles from the cookies falling from his beaked mouth as he finished another bite. “What's pan?”

 

She shrugged, not really sure why she'd thought to give a name to the little one, short of a means of having something different to call him outside of skull kid or cursed child. He'd been helpful, far more so than the stories she'd heard growing up of his kind would ever lead her to believe. So, she decided, he deserved some sort of a name that was indicative of his own uniqueness. Pan worked well enough, as while his flute wasn't of the type carrying the same name, it was still a flute.

 

“You, I suppose,” she finally answered. “A name.”

 

“Skull kid's have no names to speak of,” he answered, gesturing to himself. “Had name once. Long forgotten now, like me.”

 

She hummed in her understanding. Skull kids were said to of forgotten their lives before becoming lost and cursed within the forests. It was a shame, sad, and in all honesty, a horrible fate for any child to be met with. Their families, their loved ones, their entire life before was wiped clean from their minds. But that was the lore, the way this world worked, and there was little to nothing that anyone could do about it.

 

“True,” she agreed with him as she had no grounds to argue. “But I'll not forget, and I've given you a new name now.”

 

At first he'd stared blankly at her, not moving even an inch, and near looking as if he were little more than a statue placed upon the log as a strange roadside marker. But when his massive hat dipped lowly, his flute was brought up to to edge it away from his eyes revealing a smile at his beaked face. “Big sister is big sister. Pan is Pan,” he said. “Pan says goodbye now, big sister!”

 

Before she could reply he'd jumped free from the log, disappearing into the trees behind it with his box of cookies in tow, and leaving her to stare at the forest around her with small sad smile. Shaking her head, she clicked her tongue once again to spur Titan into motion, there was maybe a few hours or so left ahead of her before she'd fully clear the treeline and enter the hamlet she'd observed. Safe from any imminent danger as she was now, she craned her neck to relieve the tension within it, muttering out further promises to allow Titan the rest he likely needed once they arrived.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Link yet, but he'll be coming up here soon. In the meantime I had a lot of fun writing out the lovable lovely that is the littlest Skull Kid. Though, short chapter is... Well, really short. I wanted to add in more but reading some of it back to myself it started to sound ridiculous the way it had been written so instead this is what I came up with. Regardless, I had fun writing this out as I've grown fond of Pan. I honestly think he's my favorite OC in this.


	6. Just Another Day...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going to start rewinding things now to get a glimpse of Link's back story for this tale. So while reading it, do keep in mind this is all happening before Emily arrives in Hyrule. Cameos are here again, and I'm hopeful that I handled them well. Two in particular might seem OOC to some, but in this case I do have a reason for their presence/personality shifts here that will be revealed later in full. Keep in mind - AU, and different in the overall stretch of Hyrule. Though I do think that with how things play out in Majora's Mask – fan theories of it taking place in some sort of afterlife like world aside – it's not too much of a stretch to write those two in particular out as I have.

He'd always slept with a deku nut next to his bed, primarily in an effort on his part to have something to throw out the large tree house window when that cucco would start crowing at dawn. It would do the trick in scaring it off, all while maintaining his own safety by not riling it, and therefore a hundred others in the area. Sleepily or not, he still let out a quiet chuckle as he heard the birds indignant crowing outside before it bolted away in a whirlwind of feathers. Malon had been working him to death since he took up this job, and while he understood the concept of early rise meaning an early end to his day – he was too tired this morning to care. He supposed, on the plus side, the ranch owner was nice enough to allow him to build up his own place in the large tree. After all, without it he'd be stuck still sleeping in the barn with the cows and their strange affinity for mooing conversations late into the night. The goats had also proven to be a pain in his hindquarters back then. Many a time he'd woken up only to find one of them trying to chew on his tunic in a late night bout of hunger. Honestly, with how much feed he'd carry into the barn in the mornings and late afternoons, he couldn't see how it was possible for them to still be hungry. But, then again he supposed maybe that was just an animal thing he'd never understand.

 

Still, once Malon had given him permission to build a tree house on her property; he'd very nearly done so in less than a day. Unfinished or not, rain drizzling down on his head as he'd sprawled out in the center of the floor to stare at the ceiling he'd need to do patch work on in the morning – It was the most relaxing night of his life, even if a bit cold and drafty. The small village of Rosewood wasn't a bad place, of course, everyone had been kind to him since he'd been found as a small babe. But, having a place of his own instead of feeling like a perpetual house guest amongst the villages people was definitely better. Malon had been his friend since they were kids, and when her father had passed on the deed to the property to her she was quick to enlist Link's help in running Lon Lon Ranch. For him it was worth the effort, as his job helped fund his ability to build his own house so he'd have no reason to sleep in barns or take up the offers of a room for the night from the kindly citizens of the village. He felt more productive, and less of – Well a bit of a burden, to be honest. He knew of course that was silly, were he a trouble to anyone they'd say so to be certain. Since they never had, he knew better, but all the same he'd always felt as if he needed to repay the kindness that had been offered to him since such a young age.

 

Rolling over in his bed, he groaned as he stretched his legs and wiggled his toes. His whole body felt sore after the delivery to the castle. Mainly because Malon had him heft all of the crates for her while she'd chatted with the guardsmen. Letting out a small snort of amusement at the mental picture of her flushing like a tomato, he finally sat up in his bed and planted his feet on the floor. He was pretty sure she'd been on the verge of possibly dying from the blood flow to her face alone with how flushed she'd become while chatting it up with an armored man bearing the crest of the royal family. But at the same time, he'd near died when one of the crates had splintered while he'd been carrying it over the precarious walkway into the castles kitchen.

 

He knew what a moat was for, of course, but having one that even blocked off the delivery spot to the kitchens made his job far harder when Malon would pack such heavy crates. Lifting had turned into a matter of swimming, and diving, over and over in an effort to retrieve the bottles that had fallen into the water. Thankfully, all of them were still in tact, so on that front he couldn't be too miffed at the moat for its presence. Still, if anyone were to ask him he'd say it was a silly place to have one. More over, it was the worst timing for that crate to break, as he'd spotted the rare sight of the Princess observing the delivery from the castle terrace. Yes, it was the fault of the moat and not him staring with wide eyes at the Princess that lead to the unfortunate incident with the crate. Entirely. It was just a bad spot for a moat, and there was nothing more to be said of it.

 

And, he knew, Malon would the moment she saw him report in for work.

 

Standing, he let out another tired groan as he stretched his arms over his head before sauntering over to the small table he had set against the far wall of his home. Picking up his white work tunic, he pulled it over his head and grumbled as the pointed tips of his ears caught in the collar, again. Trying not to tug too hard, as the last time he'd done so he felt as if he'd nearly ripped an ear off, he finally wrestled the shirt over each ear. Looking down to his chest, he frowned, as he saw the same thing he always tended to forget in the mornings – The tying straps that laced it up were still bound together. Sighing, as he knew that was mostly due to the constant roundabout of being so bone tired at night that when he'd come home to sleep that he'd just yank off his shirt without preamble – He let it go with a shake of his head. After all, you can't exactly get mad when the problem is one of your own making. Unless it involved moats, anyway. Regardless, he fetched a clean set of trousers for work, tugging them on and tying them off before snagging his boots and belt. He had to be on time today, otherwise he'd catch it from Malon twice over for both making calf-eyes at a Princess, and for 'falling behind on his duties by being approximately one minute seventeen seconds late.'

 

Rolling his eyes, he strapped his belt around his hips, making sure the pouches lining it still had all of the tools he'd need for the day attached. The wood ax was easy enough to find, but the smaller tools like the hoof pick for the horses, and all of the other various tools Malon would check to be sure he had on him? Not so much. There was at least one plus side to her catching him searching for a lost tool last summer – That being he'd learned rather well to keep his eye on everything unless, again, he wanted another lecture. With everything where it should be, he slipped on his boots, buckling them around his calves, and snagging up his gloves from the end table near the door.

 

Pulling on his thickened leather gloves, he grinned happily as he opened his door. Malon may be tough as nails when it came to the order of the farm, but as he cast his eyes over the landscape; he really couldn't blame her for it. The fields were already kissed with the morning dew, the sun was slowly rising to greet Hyrule with its warmth, a breeze was already flowing of cool air, and...

 

The blasted cucco's were all running a muck in the cow's pen?

 

“LIIIINK!!!” Malon's voice shouted from across the field, her red hair waving about in the breeze as she held a steady hand to her skirt to keep it from fluttering up from the winds. Pointing towards the cow pen she scowled beneath her tousled red locks. “The cucco's are taking advantage of the breeze! Get them back where they belong before they get themselves trampled!!”

 

Forgoing the short ladder he'd made to climb up to his tree house, Link dropped down with a small grunt before taking off through the field towards the cow's pen. Approaching swiftly, he slowed his pace as he reached the high wooden fence. Observing the situation for a moment, he realized the cucco's weren't just there for fun, they were there to try and take the grains that Malon had already managed to put into their troughs. The cucco's were taking turns. While one group would eat, the others would brazenly bat their wings at the cow's in a threat if any of them dared try to get to their breakfast. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see Malon already approaching, though fighting the wind in her efforts to do so while her skirt tangled around her legs in protest.

 

Climbing the fence, his feet connected with the muddied ground of the cow's pen as he thanked his lucky stars he'd had the leftover grains still in a pouch from the last time this had happened. Pulling it out, he caught the birds attention as he shook the bag to let the sound of more food reach them. The ones guarding those currently eating all looked to him, watching as he put out a small scattering of the grains along the ground at his feet. The tempting offer proved to be too much for one who'd scurried over on tiny orange clawed feet. The minute it's back turned as it pecked wildly at the grains, he hoisted it up and tossed it over the fence - Only for it to spread it's wings, catch a breeze, and fly right back into the pen to rejoin the others.

 

Malon had managed to reach the fence by then, looking at him with a smile as she giggled at what had happened. “You'll have to hold them until the breeze has passed,” she said without bothering to hide her further amusement. “While you're in there, see if you can find their ringleader too! I know he's responsible for all of this!”

 

Wait for the breeze to pass? He arched a curious brow at her, only to withhold a snigger when an obvious breeze flew by sending her hair flying upwards and into her face. Watching as she battled her hair back behind her, he held up a hand signaling her to stop before she'd gone to tie it back.

 

“Leave it down,” he said, only to see her scowl again. “That way I'll know when to toss them out,” he added in explanation. Her perturbed look hadn't faded in the slightest, but she did as he asked, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly to show him that she wasn't pleased despite playing along.

 

Turning back to the cucco's, he knew his trick of food might not work as well a second time. Not if he was standing too closely to the fence. Small of brain though they were, they'd also have a tendency to be too smart for their own good at times, and that made grabbing this lot trickier than most would think. Either that, or they were incredibly lucky. Seeing one of the cow's stamp its front hooves down towards the group of cucco's guarding the others, he decided it was probably a mixture of both when the cucco dodged only to peck at the cow's leg making it back up again. Arranged as they were though, he did have a good shot of getting to the ones eating so long as the cow's kept their guardians busy. Taking some more of the grains in hand, he tossed them this time between the chickens and the cow's, only for Malon to shout at him for instigating another fight.

 

Rolling his eyes, as he knew well enough just how capable those birds happened to be in protecting themselves; he took his chance and snatched up a cucco from the trough. It sputtered and crowed as he held it overhead, not stupid enough to let its beak go anywhere near his face as he ran back for the fence. Waiting just long enough to see Malon's hair stop twirling wildly, he tossed the bird out of the pen once her locks had settled; one down, five more and a leader to go. Motioning to Malon to follow along the fence near the trough, he started grabbing and chucking the birds each time her hair stopped fluttering.

 

With only the three guardians, and their ringleader left, he turned around to see said leader perched on top of one of the cow's backs. The minute it tilted it's blue feathered head back to let out its angered cry, he found himself sighing heavily. Cojiro had won this round, as the birds in the pen immediately took flight, aiming their beaks and talons directly at him.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Letting out a hiss of pain, Link resisted the urge to flinch as Malon treated the scratches on his cheek from the cucco's attack. She'd had to go into the pen herself to catch Cojiro in order to get the others to stop trying to peck his eyes out. With them all housed where they should be again, she'd then set about fussing over him in the house. Sitting at her kitchen table, he did as he was ordered and waited for her to finish cleaning his wounds while sipping on a bottle of Lon Lon Milk.

 

“That will teach you not to throw deku nuts at Cojiro when he crows in the morning,” Malon scolded. “He's smarter than you give him credit for, doing all of that just to get you back for it, you know?” Lifting a slender red brow, she shook her head at him as she stood from her seat and waved the bloody cloth around in his face. “You're lucky that milk has the effect it does, otherwise you'd be covered from head to toe in cucco scratches and peck marks!” Giggling softly, she hefted up the bowl of well water now tinted with a coppery tone, and headed to the window to dump it out. “Honestly, if you plan on making lovesick calf-eyes at the Princess again; it's probably for the better that you don't look like a fool who can't even handle a boisterous cucco!”

 

And there it was.

 

Finishing off the bottle of milk, feeling the sting in his cheek finally dissipate in doing so, Link smiled awkwardly despite the jab. She'd at least earned it after he'd been mowed over by the small flock of birds. But then, somehow, Malon always managed to be there when things went awry just so she could tell him all about why – and more to the point – how he screwed it up. Shifting in his seat, he cast his gaze around the large cottage, smiling as he caught the picture of them standing with her father as kids. She'd put her hand on the top of his head, giggling at how short he was while the old inventor Koume took the picture for them with her new invention. A few years older than him, Malon had him beat in height back then, and she'd loved to tease him about it calling him a 'little grasshopper.' Now though, she was shorter than him by a couple of inches. But, telling her that would only lead to another lecture about how it was rude to comment on a woman's height. By now, the way he saw it, after all the things she'd told him off over growing up; it was rude to comment on just about anything regarding a woman.

 

Glancing back over to her, he watched her place the bowl with the rest of her dirty dishes. Moving as if nothing in the world could bother her in the slightest, she stood up on her tip toes in effort to reach the top cupboard over the counter. Seeing her teeter in her efforts, Link bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing. She wouldn't ask for his help, and he knew better than to offer. Unless it had to do with lifting, wrangling, repairs, or just general things he was sure she had him do simply because she didn't want to – It was best to keep out of the fiery red head's way. Finally managing to reach the latch so she could open the cupboard, she plucked an empty bottle before sighing in relief as her feet made full contact with the stone floor again. Glancing over her shoulder, she wasn't blind to the mirth within his blue eyes as he'd watched her. He could hide behind those light brown bangs of his all he liked, it wouldn't make a lick of a difference as she already knew what he was so amused by.

 

“I'm not short,” she immediately defended, leaving those mischievous eyes to widen in surprise. “You're just lanky!” He blinked at that one, unsure how to retort as he lifted up an arm to inspect his own muscle build. “I meant in height,” she deadpanned, gesturing to his torso. “You're just long, that's all. Doesn't mean you're taller than me, it just means -” Realizing she was close to calling herself out on being wrong in her own explanation, Malon sent him a glare before shaking her head. “Never mind.”

 

Before Link could ask her to explain, the front door to the cottage burst open in a flurry. Koume, with her sister Kotake in tow, were flying around in circles on their brooms, and each one was rambling off utter nonsense. Two seconds into it, they'd immediately turned to glare at one another over their long noses, pointing fingers and badgering amongst themselves rather than explaining their hurried rush into the cottage more clearly.

 

“Okay! Okay,” Malon intervened, holding her hands up before sliding herself between the elderly twins in their screaming match. “Slow down, what's happened?”

 

“The sky is falling!” Kotake shouted, lifting a bony fist still clutching tightly to her broom into the air as she did so. Her old blue and black robes fell down her arm in the process revealing the multitude of silver bangles she had on her wrist, jingling about loosely as she continued to shake her broom. “It's gone all sick! It will fall!!”

 

“It's not falling you twit!” Koume insisted harshly. Her broom disappeared in a plume of red smoke, only for her to plant her fists against her hips with a huff that had her headpiece near falling off. Lifting up her hand quickly, she fixed the red gem she wore on her forehead with a frown as Kotake cackled at the sight. Scowling, her silver brows pulled tightly together as she narrowed red eyes at her twin. “Working in that potion shop has muddled your brain with toxins!”

 

“Better than frying my cat with those newfangled do-dad's you keep making!” Kotake shouted back, mirroring her sisters posture as she too planted her fists to her hips hotly. “The sky over Death Mountain is filling with smoke! It's noxious! It will corrupt the sky, burn us all to ash, and the very blue from the heavens above will fall upon our husks!!”

 

“The sky over Death Mountain is always filled with smoke,” Link observed with a mixed expression of wonder at how that could be so alarming, as well as one that wondered how the two of them had yet to be placed in nice old homes for the mentally unwell. All too late he finally caught sight of Malon's wide blue eyes, and her hands silently cutting through the air for him to take it back. He had but a millisecond before the two old women were in his face, blocking the red head from view as their unnaturally bulbous eyes sternly examined him with annoyance. “I – I mean -”

 

“Oh so he finally start's speaking up, does he?” Koume snorted, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her long red painted fingernails against each arm. “Took him years to say a simple yes or no, didn't it, Kotake?”

 

Kotake immediately nodded in agreement. Following her sister's posture, she too crossed her arms over her chest, tapping blue lacquered nails against her own arms as she sent him a harsh stare. “Yes, but it didn't take long to learn how to back talk his elders did it, Koume?” Lifting up her broom, Kotake smacked him in the forehead with it's handle, earning a groan of pain from Link. “Mind your manners among the elderly lad! Koume can scarcely handle the world as it is without trying to blow it sky high! Her age has made her thin of mind,” she snickered, ignoring her sister's enraged look.

 

“I am not thin of mind!” Koume bellowed out, calling upon her own broom to smack her sister upside her own head for the comment. “We're the same age you mushroom-sniffing, potion making, sky falling, ranting, ice queen!”

 

Watching as the two began to go at it again, Link ducked out of the way as a broom war began to wage in the cottage. Rolling under the table to put distance between himself and the badgering old coots, he looked over to see Malon gaping at them in disbelief. Her eyes blew wide however, when each of them began to glow with the light of magic. Old silver hair turned fiery red, and ice blue, all while they somehow went from arguing over who was oldest despite being twins – To arguing over who the postman winked at last week. With an overindulgent use of her power, Kotake flared frostily at her sister, ice forming in a large sheet on the very stone in which she stood before she announced that she had no sister to speak of. Taking off on her broom, she flew through the door leaving a chilled frost of fog in the air behind her.

 

Looking to Koume, who'd only stuck her nose up in the air with an offended snort, Link and Malon both shook their heads. Rosewood was a normal place, full of kind and gentle-hearted people – Who all tolerated the aged witches and their endless arguments on the grounds that neither of them went for actual blows when they'd have a spat. It was hard enough putting the fires out, but unfreezing entire houses would take quite the effort, and ironically, more fire. Still, the two old women weren't all bad. Their magic was mostly put to use in helpful ways at least. Kotake with her potion brewing that drew in outsiders from all over Hyrule, who would in turn spend their rupees in the other shops within the small village. And Koume with her inventions, and claims that magic and science could go hand in hand – Well, she kept things lively, if nothing else.

 

Sighing as she assessed the ice upon her floor, Malon tucked her hand into the yellow pocket of her white sundress. Pulling a key from within it, she tossed it to Link. “Go ahead and escort Koume back to her shop, I've got a mess to clean up.”

 

“Ha! It wasn't me this time!” Koume announced, pleased with the fact that it was her sister who'd ironically lost her cool. Smacking her lips just once, she took a partially frozen apple from the bowl on the table, warming it with her own magic before taking a bite. “Come on then lad, you and I can go sight seeing in that telescope of mine! You'll see what I've found! You can tell that coot of a sister she's wrong once and for all when we're done,” she added as she chewed over a second bite. Wobbling on her feet, she inclined her head politely to Malon as she headed to the door. “Malon, always a pleasure,” she said before turning just enough to quirk her finger towards Link sending him sliding on his boots against the stone until he was at her side with the tug of a spell. “Thanks for lending me the yipper snapper!”

 

With that, Koume dragged Link out the front door with her, only for Malon to look out the window seeing her sling him over the end of her broom as she set off towards the town at blazing speeds. Link's screaming could be heard up until they'd flown over the main gate, and turned down the road. Idly, Malon decided that she was happy it was Link, and not herself, that the two seemed to pick on whenever the chance arose. Though casting a glance over her shoulder, seeing the ice had spread, she also decided that next time they came by for a visit – She'd immediately send them to hash it out in Link's tree house.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++

 

By the time Koume had stopped her broom, it had been an abrupt enough of a move that Link had fallen face first into the dirt outside her shop. The broom itself had disappeared in another plume of red smoke, as Koume glared harshly at the blue building across from her red one. With a huff at seeing the curtains in the windows shut all at once, she turned her back to her sisters shop, and produced the key to her own. Unlocking the door, she'd reached out to snag Link by the collar of his tunic and swiftly tug him inside with her so she could slam the door shut behind them. With that taken care of, the gem on her forehead began to glow, as the key lifted from her palm to be housed within its gleaming surface.

 

Gesturing then towards the stairs, she ignored the mail on her front counter as she cast her bug eyed gaze to Link. “Well go on lad, have a look!” She demanded as he tried to right himself fully to his feet after nearly being flung over a dusty old crate.

 

Finally fully standing, and no longer feeling the reeling effects on his stomach as he took in a steady breath; he followed the direction her bony finger pointed to. Knowing she meant for him to go to the top, as her telescope was mounted to the roof of her shop, he did so without an argument. Considering the fire the old woman could spit out when she deemed it necessary, he wasn't out to take any chances in riling her further after her fight with Kotake. Climbing the stairs, and fully aware that the witches gaze was upon him the entire way, he finally reached the upper level of her shop. Wandering down the walkway to the left, he looked up the ladder that would take him to the roof seeing the hatch was currently closed. Before even having the option of calling to her over the matter, he felt a wave of magic flow through the air around him; and watched as the hatch opened. Grabbing hold of the ladder, he headed to the roof, unsurprised when he finally peeked his head through the hatch to see Kotake already up there. Her broom had come back, and she rested on it with a light sway as she waited for him to look towards Death Mountain through her telescope.

 

Laughing almost mischievously, the old woman circled the large contraption before pulling a large metal lever on its side that had it rotating towards the north west. “Come, come,” she beckoned him once the metal had finished scraping its way to point in the right direction. “You will see much more than you'd likely expect within my telescope.”

 

Ignoring the twinge in his spine at how oddly pleased she seemed to be about the possibility of him seeing something was in fact wrong, Link stepped onto the platform to gaze through the telescope. The moment he had his eyes went wide, and his gloved hands clutched to its finder. Oh there was smoke as he'd expected, but not in the normal sense for the old volcano. The sky overhead glowed with a sickly yellow-green, and it's blackened smoke that billowed out held the same tint that would waft up through it like toxic fumes. Zooming in further, he watched as the mountain itself seemed to quiver for a moment, sending large boulders cascading down its steep terrain that had veins of the same yellow-green tint within it.

 

“Dark magic has infected it's core,” Koume whispered, all too close for his own comfort as she placed a bony hand to his shoulder. “Someone is being naughty, though don't believe Kotake's rantings on the matter. The sky will not fall from it.” She hummed, before shaking her head and floating away from his side. “But of the goron's and the village of Kakariko? That is debatable at best when the world lacks those of a mind to help others.”

 

Link turned away from the view finder, watching as she stared with large eyes towards the mountain as if she could see it from the roof without need of her monstrous telescope. “The Princess could send troops,” he offered, as really he couldn't think of anyone else who'd go traversing that mountain just to find out what had been done to it. Not if the goron's themselves were having trouble anyway.

 

Koume snorted, her laugh ringing out hollow this time as she lifted a skeptical brow at what he'd proposed. “Were it that simple lad, there'd be no place in this world for those born with the souls of heroes.” Large eyes turned to him, staring intently in such a way that finally did the job in making him shift on his feet. “Hmmm, perhaps you aught to return dearie. Though, if you see my sister – Do tell her she is wrong for me, would you?” Twirling around on her broom she shouted through the rising smoke before she vanished with it. “Look around if you like, but don't dally for too long... My skulltula are hungry!”

 

Alone on the roof, Link looked back through the telescope, gazing intently as he watched further plumes of sickly smoke billow from the mountains top. Something was wrong, very wrong, and vaguely he felt that someone needed to do something about it. The trouble was, just who?

 


	7. A Hero Chosen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just another reminder that this is currently meant to be taking place before where we'd last seen Emily. Eventually it'll obviously go back to the here and now of Emily being along the outskirts of the village, and you'll definitely know when that transition takes place. But I figured it would be a bit confusing if I'd gone back and forth between her and Link in leading up to their meeting.

When he'd finally returned to Lon Lon Ranch, Link had told Malon of what he'd seen within Koume's telescope. The ranch owner had frowned at the news, but shook her head in dismissal all the same, saying that if anything was truly wrong Princess Zelda would not stand for it to go unchecked. While young of age, she had proven to be a fierce protector of all within Hyrule, taught well by her father and mother before their untimely passing. It was by that logic that Malon insisted there was no need to give in to the end of the world chattering that they'd heard between the two elderly witches earlier, and had promptly put him back to work on his daily routine on the farm.

 

Regardless of her words, however, Link could tell she was not as entirely set in believing them herself as she'd attempted to be. But knowing the young woman as well as he did from their time growing up together, he understood how she worked. When worried about anything, Malon would brush it off, holding firmly to her own stubborn nature rather than caving to whatever concerns she harbored. Be it a blessing or a curse, her resolve was one of stone, and he'd not try to sway her either way as it would be pointless. It might also lead to her flicking her fingers against the tip of his ears again too.

 

Of course, while she was content to ignore her own concerns on the matter, he had not been. Throughout his day, his mind would travel to the sight he had seen within the telescope, filling to the brim with a torrent of thoughts on what, if anything, could be done about the state of Death Mountain. From what he'd heard from the travelers who would stop by in town, the goron's were rather stubborn themselves when it came to the goings on of their people. Few if any, were allowed to venture into their kingdom, unless of course they'd been gifted with the royal seal of Hyrule itself. That, in essence, was the biggest problem. For if the Princess herself was not set on sending out her own routine of men to aid the goron's in whatever was happening in their domain, no one could enter to offer their assistance.

 

Still, he'd gone to bed that night, work complete, only to toss and turn as his mind would not shut off and let the matter drop. The following few days wound up going much the same, and even worse when he'd overheard tales from one of the local hunters in town claiming that the Forgotten Forest had been crawling with wolfos, and that the trees themselves were appearing to have gone sick with something foul in the soil. Further still, came a traveler who had stopped by the ranch to purchase milk from Malon, as well as tell stories of other areas in Hyrule falling to a similar infection as that of the forest. The tales had taken on darker themes with each new story being heard, and when word had begun to spread through the village of Hyrule Castle being taken over – The Princess herself unseen and unheard of for days – Link had grown more and more agitated in his nervousness. By then, Malon too had begun to finally fret over the goings on of the world. No longer able to dismiss the stories as little more than poppycock, she'd had Link help her send extra shipments into town for the onslaught of people who had come pouring in from Castle Town in an attempt to escape what they'd called a blatant sacking of the royal castle by monstrous fiends.

 

He'd found himself fretting further on the goings on that had occurred in little more than a weeks time, grunting out in frustration as he attempted once more to lay down and sleep for another day of work ahead of him. He'd rolled over on his side, glaring at the wood ax he'd propped up next to his dresser, feeling useless as he wondered just where the Princess had gone to. For the castle to be taken, the townspeople pushed out of their homes to be scattered across Hyrule, the strange afflictions being reported from every region imaginable... All of it without a single answer as to how or why. None of it made sense.

 

Despite the continued warnings of Malon, growing more worried now that he'd fancy the idea of dusting off his old slingshot and wooden sword as if either would prove useful enough to solve the problem; he couldn't deny that something had begun to stir within him holding a desire to seek out the answers for himself – And, if need be, to do something to stop it all from continuing. But how could he? He'd grown to be little more than a farm boy, not a trained warrior, or a hero of legend. Taking up his old childhood weapons that he'd wielded along side the hunters when a stray skulltula or wolfos had wandered too close to town was one thing. Malon had been right in that aspect. To him though, there was the other matter. That being, that he didn't really think there was anything particularly special about him, and he had no real skills to speak of short of knowing how to wield an ax when chopping wood. Link was simply Link, nothing more and nothing less.

 

And as he finally began to drift off into another night of restless sleep, he began to wish that he was capable of being something more than just that.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++

 

The sound of bones grating together echoed through the forest, combined with the chilling scrape of a massive greataxe digging into the unnaturally dark soil behind the creature. Large glowing red eyes nestled within blackened sockets, aged yellow teeth barred fully without the skin of lips to hide them. Massively grown nails, making the creature's hands appear to be clawed like that of a wolfos, wound their way over the greataxe' haft as it hefted it upwards to teeter it's sharpened edge against the bare bone of its shoulder blade. The creature, undoubtedly a stalfos, let out a shriek or anger as it lifted a hand to point a singular digit towards a young girl who cowered in terror at the sight of it. With her hair disheveled, twigs and leaves stuck within the splayed midnight locks, her wide moss colored eyes glistened further with terror each time the stalfos took yet another step closer.

 

Behind her lay a horse, it's head cleaved from its massive shoulders sprawled out in the grass with a streak of dark crimson being the only thing that still held it's missing piece to its lifeless body. The girl, tearful and horrified as she was, clutched to herself without a weapon to defend against the monster that had found her and was inching its massive form ever closer to her. She screamed out as the stalfos laughed amusingly at her quivering form, trying to move away from it only to hiss in pain as her leg lay trapped beneath the dead weight of her fallen mount. She was helpless, trapped, caught in the sights of a creature cursed from the forest itself, and as she screamed out one last time the name that left her lips was cut off as the nightmare swirled away to be replaced with a white unnatural fog.

 

Whispers sounded, to his left, and then his right. Softly echoing in his ears, calling out to him to save the young woman before it was too late. Slowly, a shadow moved within the fog, poised in the visage of the Princess herself, and in an instant his feet began to propel him forward. He called out to her, seeing bits and pieces of the shadows true form through the thickened plumes of white around him. Golden hair, bright eyes, pinked lips, her figure draped within the finest of silks. He neared her form, ever closer, and as he reached out to her he gasped as she dissipated into nothing leaving him alone. Instantly he began to look around himself, wondering what kind of a weird dream it was that he had found himself in, and when he'd gone to call out to her his voice had been halted by a new sight.

 

The fog began to clear, revealing a pathway of perfectly green grass leading to a large stone made staircase. Curious, and unsure as to what else to do, his feet carried him forward to it, touching down upon the stone steps he looked up wondering if he climbed to the top – would she be there waiting for him? The only course of action he could take was to move forward and find out, and so he did. Climbing the steps, and wondering how many he would need take before he reached the top, he was surprised to see each step begin to glow in his wake. Red, green, blue, orange, purple, gold, and silver. The pattern repeated itself, over and over, until finally he looked up to find himself at the top, and staring now at a sword embedded into a small pedestal in the very center of the the platform he'd reached.

 

The handle of the blade was a rich royal blue, with a hilt that curved outwards just enough to help aid whomever wielded it in deflecting blows from their enemies. Where it met with the steel it connected to was the very symbol of Hyrule's royal family, the crest of the eagle with its flourished design. The blade itself glinted, and etched just below the crest was another symbol all in Hyrule knew well of. The legendary Triforce was vivid in contrast to the shining steel, plated in golden trim, and as he stared in rapt fascination of the weapon in front of him, he found himself reaching out towards the blades handle only to pull his hand away.

 

“Do not fear,” a soft voice called out to him. “Destiny awaits you, Link. The sword you see before you is one of legend, the Master Sword. Named for it's ability to strike down any evil that rises up to threaten Hyrule, only one marked with the soul of a true hero may wield it.”

 

Looking around himself, and still not seeing anything but the smoke and the magical glowing lights of the stairs he had climbed, Link's eyes narrowed in suspicion of everything around him.

 

A gentle laugh sounded out, the voice returning in it's amusement from some unknown source within the fog. “Do not look so grim, Link. You wished to be more, to have the power to fight back the evil that has risen across the lands. But the fact is, you already hold such power within you, and now the time has come for you to wield it.”

 

Before he could retort, his mouth had been effectively closed upon seeing her appear from thin air to stand behind the sword in front of him. Zelda, so vivid and lifelike it was as if she were real enough that were he to reach for her; she'd truly be there, smiling at him kindly. Lifting a hand, she gestured to the sword between them.

 

“The history of Hyrule is full of many great battles. Some are still murmured about. Others, sadly have been long since forgotten, believed now to be little more than simple legend. The truth, however, is that darkness opposing the light, seeking power to rule over all, is no mere fable. With each attempt, a hero has always been chosen to rise up against it, and much as history dictates that hero has always held the same name... But more than that, the same soul. Reborn through the ages, the hero has been known to the lands as Link.” Watching his eyes widen, she smiled further at him.

 

“You see? It is you who is meant to save Hyrule, meant to be it's champion against the evil of the Gerudo King, Ganondorf. You have heard of the goings on within Hyrule, have you not? Stories of a sickness tainting the lands and spreading out beyond each of the boarders within it. The evil behind it comes from him. For he has taken my castle, killed my most trusted adviser, and sent his dark magic across Hyrule in an effort to seize ultimate power of the world. The girl you saw before is one of great power herself. A power that could stop him from succeeding in his quest. Though, unfortunately untrained in the means to use it, she wanders now in the forest alone; heading straight for your small hamlet of Rosewood.”

 

Casting her gaze to her left, Link turned to see the visage of the woman from before. She was no longer being attacked, instead this time around she was riding her horse onward towards the village in the outskirts of the Forgotten Forest, just as Zelda had said. Safe, secure even upon her steed, she leaned over to gently run her fingers through the massive horses' mane, softly cooing out a promise to let it rest as soon as they reached the village. Through a small gesture alone, he could tell that she was kind of heart, and seeing her steed knicker softly in response to her gentle words – He smiled as the vision faded back into the fog.

 

“She is a Seer. Unique in her gifts, she holds the key to solidifying the fate of all with no more than the stroke of a quill. Brought here by my own hand, she seeks a relic of her people that had been locked away for safekeeping. The Book of Light. Unwritten in as it is now, it awaits her and her alone to fill its pages. Good or ill, whatever she writes within the book will in turn become bound, unchangeable, and thus will turn it forevermore into a Book of Fate. If one of good intent writes within its pages, keeping true to the visions the Seers are capable of viewing, the words become history. Factual, and unchangeable, the world may go on as it is truly intended to. But, should one write within the book with a desire solely meant to achieve selfish goals, the fate that binds the lands will be one of great darkness and despair. Somehow, Ganondorf has learned of the book, and of the young Seer. In his desire to reach the Triforce, locked away within the Sacred Realm much as those before him have tried, he has chosen the Book and its Seer as his means to achieve that goal. His minion's now seek her out, wishing to obtain her so their king might use her gift to write history to his own twisted desires unhindered.”

 

She sighed, cerulean eyes narrowing just slightly as she gestured to him once more. “Thus, the time has come for you to meet your destiny, as it has been intertwined with her own. For without your aid, she will be taken, and forced to wield her abilities in the name of evil. If this happens, all of Hyrule will be lost, and the Gerudo King's power will grip the world in a never ending plague of eternal darkness.”

 

Pausing, she lifted her hand in signal for him to wait as the other moved to the sash at her hip. Pulling forth a small blue ocarina, she smiled at him. “Take this with you as well. It is the ocarina of legend. It's power is strong, and with it you will find many doors that will not open to others shall be made accessible to you on the journey ahead.” Handing it to him, she placed one hand over his as he'd gripped the small instrument. “You have all the tools of which I can offer to aid you. But there is no need to harbor doubts and fears. You are gifted with something far greater than even the sword in front of you. The courage of the heroes before you – it runs through your veins. It will aid you in the days to come.”

 

He swallowed thickly, lips finally moving to speak all while he tried to process everything he'd just been told; he asked the only thing he could think to ask. “What is it you expect me to do?”

 

She smiled again, softer still as she let out a pleased hum at his response. “Take the sword, wield it as those before you have. Seek her out within the forest, and save her from the cruel fate you have witnessed. From there you must guide her through the trials of the temples scattered throughout the lands. Destroy the evils within each one, purify them, and find the Book of Light so the Seer may protect it from Ganondorf's greedy hands. She must be allowed to write fate as it is truly meant to be recorded, and the Book of Light must not be tainted by Ganondorf's wickedness. You must hurry, Link. Time is short, and already the stalfos moves through the trees in its hunt to find her for it's cruel master's machinations.”

 

Her visage began to fade out again, and as it did he stepped forward only to reach past the sword for his fingers to meet with smoke.

 

“Take the Master Sword, Link. Find the Seer,” her voice echoed once more around him. “Protect her, no matter the cost, and lend her your aid. For without it, she and all of Hyrule will perish.”

 

Alone entirely, he looked now to the sword. The Princess, dream or not, had said it was only to be wielded by heroes. Those meant for greatness. Running his tongue against lips that had suddenly gone dry, he thought over the desire he'd felt building within him to take off in an effort to stop whatever had begun to plague the lands. It was the first time he'd thought to venture outside of Rosewood without the prompting of Malon in her decree that she needed his assistance in making a delivery. But it was not the first time he'd felt a desire to help protect others in the world around him. Malon's rants from earlier, warning him that his slingshot and wooden sword would not be enough this time had come back to echo in his mind. He'd already known she was right. But thinking back on it all, each time he had gone out back then, no matter how chastising Malon's words would be – He had felt that it was the right thing to do.

 

Here and now, that same feeling returned tenfold. Now, before him was a sword of steel, forged for the very purpose of defending the world around him. Created specifically to strike down evil in any form it could take, and if this was no simple dream, no illusion brought on by his own thoughts in the waking world – Then he would need that blade in the days to come. And so, he set his own trepidation aside and stepped forward, wrapping his hand over the handle of the Master Sword, and with a grunt of effort he pulled it free from its pedestal; only for light to break through the fog around him. Blinding him as he slipped from his dreams and back into the waking world.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++

 

“I don't understand,” Malon shouted out as she watched him finish strapping the saddle to Epona's back in the stables. “Where did you get that sword, that - ocarina? What's going on? Link? Link!!”

 

He turned to look back to her with an apologetic look in his eyes. She'd heard the commotion he'd caused after he'd jolted awake, finding himself clutching to both the sheathed blade of the Master Sword, and the blue ocarina, as if he'd literally pulled both free from his very dreams and into reality. The minute he'd realized his dream had been more than just that, he'd hastily dressed himself, strapping the sword to his back before racing from his tree house to the stables so he could fetch Epona. If he was held back any longer in finding the girl then his quest would fail before it could even begin. Malon had, of course, been shocked to see him strapping Epona's gear on her, and in an instant she'd begun to pelt him with questions only to become further miffed by his lack of an answer that she deemed sensible.

 

“I can't believe this! I let you knock off from work early to get extra sleep and you just... Wake up from a short cat-nap to go taking my horse for ride with a sword that appeared out of nowhere? Link!” She'd reached out this time, grabbing hold of his arm as he'd ignored her further questioning to mount himself within Epona's saddle. “Where are you going?”

 

Looking down at her, he reached over to gently remove her hand from his arm. “I'll be back soon,” he promised, watching her red brows furrow in further annoyance at him. “Epona and I will be fine, but I must go now before I'm too late.” Handing her the ocarina, mainly for safekeeping until he had a better place to put it where it'd not risk being smashed, he sighed. “Keep this safe for me, and Malon - Please trust me.”

 

Malon just shook her head in disbelief, and as she'd said nothing further he tightened his heels against Epona's sides, shouting out the command for her to hightail it before the red head could unleash her ire further. Galloping away from the barn he heard Malon call out to him, her words lost to the breeze. The final rays of the sun had already begun to pass, dusk was settling in, and if he did not hurry he'd not make it to this Seer in time to stop the stalfos' greataxe from finding it's mark within her steeds neck. Vaguely he questioned his sanity at leaving with just a sword to fight with, but then he knew very little of anything that had transpired throughout the lands of Hyrule as of late held much sanity to it either. If he had a shield then he supposed he'd be better prepared, but he was cutting it close as it was already and he doubted the stalfos stalking the girl in the forest would wait for him to make the dash into town to purchase one from the smithy.

 

Reaching the gates of the ranch, he tugged Epona's reigns to pull her into a turn heading straight for the edge of the forest. Epona, being the best of the best that Lon Lon Ranch had to offer, was quick to comply to his commands, kicking up the dirt of the road in the process. Hearty in breed, the claymore mare was undoubtedly the fastest horse available for him to take. And while he knew Malon would forever hold a grudge against him for practically stealing her away as he had against her wishes, he too knew that any other horse within the stables would have tired too quickly in his hastened pace to find the young Seer before it was too late.

 

Meeting the forests edge in record time, the trees began to near blur at the breakneck speed Epona had reached. True enough to his assessment of her abilities, the mare had leapt over fallen logs and larger stones without breaking her stride. Whinnying, as if pleased to be doing something far more exciting than hauling a cart behind her for milk deliveries, Epona pushed herself harder without Link even needing to ask. Hitting the old huntsman's trail, their progress was simplified by the steadier pathway cut into the forest floor. The closer they got to the location he'd seen the Seer in within the visions Zelda had shown him, the more Link began to feel something shift within him. Resolve, just as solid as Malon was stubborn, had filtered through him and beaten away whatever fears he had held as he'd raced to the stable to fetch Epona. If Zelda was right, if his own soul was tied to the heroes of the past, then he knew what he felt now was their own courage pushing through to aid him.

 

Rising himself up to a racer's stride within Epona's saddle, he prepared himself to leap from her back as she veered around the path towards their destination. The moment he caught sight of the young girl reaching over to her saddlebags for something stashed within, he took that as his cue and jumped free from Epona to roll towards her horse with his sword at the ready. Feeling a surge of surprise at the fluidity of the motion, he ignored the woman's gasp of shock at seeing him, keeping his eyes peeled on the treeline. The stalfos was near, and while he could have taken the risk of yelling for her to spur her horse into a run to flee, the tired stance of the stallion made it clear it had done far more running than it was accustomed to already in her journey thus far.

 

Not looking to her, worried if he so much as took his eyes away from the shadows of the forest the stalfos would catch them off guard, he chose instead to circle around her. “Keep quiet,” he said to her, still ignoring her stare at his back. “You are not alone in your travels.”

 

“I -” She'd been halted in her words then and there, as from the corner of his eye Link had caught sight of the glowing red eyes of the stalfos.

 

The monster let out a snarl at seeing his prey had obtained a bodyguard. Rushing through the trees, its decayed bones still booted in thickened old leather had stomped the shrubbery flat into the ground in its wake. The greataxe it held within its massive hands was lifted with little to no effort, and as it made to swing, the Seer had already steered her horse free from it's reach. Link watched as she joined her horse alone side Epona who had moved back towards the bend in the path he'd taken, and before the stalfos could try to slink further in her direction he put himself in its way. Firmly planting his feet, he held his newly acquired sword up towards his opponent with narrowed eyes as he tried to gauge the best way to fight it off.

 

Its bones rattled as it bellowed out another growl, annoyed that it had missed its intended mark, and now had to fight some kid with a sword. Hefting up its greataxe, the stalfos made a show of using one of its near clawed bony digits to give the universal gesture of severing an opponents throat. Letting out a rumbled laugh, as Link had stepped further towards it in his own silent answer that he'd not be swayed from keeping his position; the stalfos lifted its greataxe once more to send it crashing to the ground between them. The shock wave that was sent out from the force alone of its heavy swing had Link flying to land on his back near six feet away from where it had touched the ground. Shaking his head, and almost seeing stars within his vision, he made to stand, catching the odd sight of a slight movement within the treetops overhead.

 

Wobbling slightly on his feet, he hadn't noticed the stalfos' approach as quickly as he rightly should have until he'd been lifted up by his tunic to be tossed like a rag doll in the opposite direction. Bouncing off the ground, and hearing the Seer scream out in terror at the sight, he looked up to hazily see the Master Sword now setting with it's sharpened point embedded in the ground between himself – and the laughing stalfos that had taken his position in front of the very girl he'd been sent out to save.


	8. Pieces Of A Puzzle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight with the stalfos finishes, and after waking up - Link searches for Emily in the stables of Lon Lon Ranch to figure out some type of plan for the task ahead of them.

Emily had found herself clutching to the hilt of Titan's saddle all over again, watching in horror as the dirty-blond had been hoisted up into the air only to then be violently thrown to the ground by the massive stalfos that had erupted through the treeline. At first she'd had no idea who he was, nor where he'd even come from, and with the night already taking away the remaining wisps of light from the sky overhead it wasn't easy to further make out his features. What she did catch, as she'd screamed out in fear seeing his body bounce against the ground as if it were a child's ball in motion; was the sword he'd carried as it flew from his grip glinting in the moonlight. The minute she'd taken in the flashy show of its intricate design, the blade landing to skewer itself into the earth between himself and the stalfos, she knew without a doubt in her mind just who had come to her rescue.

 

Link. The hero of legend.

 

Or, at the very least in an ancestral sort of way. Her grandfather had once told her that all of the stories were tied together by the heroes rebirth. His soul being carried on through the ages to a new hero destined to be gifted the same name as the very first who had risen up to fight back against the evil that had threatened the land. In such a way, his name was a literal translation of who he was, or rather, who he was meant to be by the time each tale reached its end. A hero who was forever linked to the the destiny of protecting the world of Hyrule. And now, here he was, trying to protect her – Just as Zelda, and Navi too, had said a hero would come to do so.

 

The stalfos' haunting laugh pulled her from her thoughts, and Titan reared up to back away from the monster that had placed itself between them and their apparent hero. His own steed, a rusty sort of brown with a white and black mane, had moved to stand off in the sidelines. Impatiently, it started stamping its hooves, as if debating on whether or not it should bolt from the battle that had begun. With the stalfos distracted, Emily ushered Titan to the mares side, plucking its reigns from around its neck in and effort to hold it in place should Link require an escape. With only a glance back at the position he'd been thrown in, she found herself more inclined to bet that he would. He wasn't wearing armor of any kind, and had no shield to use in synchronization with the Master Sword. And as he began to try and rise to his feet again, he looked more or less, like he was just going to fall over. Taking in as much of his appearance as she could in the dim moonlight, Emily realized that while he was here to help her, the problem he was having in handling the fight was more likely from the fact that he'd not faced a stalfos before.

 

“Link!” She'd shouted out to him as he near slumped to the ground again, catching himself on one knee as the stalfos began to approach with it's greataxe at the ready. “Roll out of the way of it's strikes, attack it from behind and wait for it to leave itself open before facing it head on!”

 

Really that was the best insight she could offer him. The old stories her grandfather had once told her had more than a few fights with stalfos in them. Each time the perspective Link's within them had fought the creatures with the same tactics; unless there happened to be more than one for them to deal with. Regardless, even with only one to contend with it still stood to reason that if he used the same tactics now it would end far better than it had begun. Or at least she hoped it would.

 

Releasing her hold to the hilt of Titan's saddle, she ordered him to remain still with a firm tug on his reigns, all while her eyes raptly watched Link fully push himself up from the ground, and do exactly as she'd instructed. He'd rolled out of the way, shaky but safe all the same, and as he had the stalfos was sent stumbling when its wide swing wound up being met with nothing but air. Taking the precious moment of relief granted to him while the skeletal creature attempted to right itself, Link darted forward to grab hold of his sword, and in one fluid motion following; he rolled backwards in time to place himself yet again between her and the stalfos. With another vicious snarl from the creature, it swung its greataxe around once more, missing again as Link rolled beneath its lowly swung blade, skidding to a halt in the dirt behind the creature and slamming his sword into its unprotected spine.

 

Be it the collective memory of a soul passed down through the ages kicking in to further propel his attacks in the right direction, her small offer of knowledge, the courage that heroes like him were said to harbor, or merely blind luck; it mattered little. He'd begun to turn the tide on the hulking skeleton, as he landed strike after strike against its aged bones while dancing around it to avoid the wide birth of its swing. Or he had, up until the stalfos decided it had enough of the violent dance. Stopping its attacks to hold its greataxe above its head, it roared out in anger at Link, before using the force behind its own swing to spin around in a circle that blocked him from sending any further attacks its way. Instead, Link found himself rolling now in an effort to dodge the monstrosity all together. For if he did try to launch himself forward he'd surely be cut to pieces without any further preamble. Backed up now, and running out of room to maneuver himself away, his only option was to try and hold the sword within his hands as a means of blocking himself from taking the full force of the rotated swing.

 

Were it any other foe, perhaps, it would have been a far better idea. But the moment the swirling greataxe touched home against the Master Sword, Link had been sent flying back into a tree with a resounding crack against its old bark. As he let out a strangled grunt of agony, the stalfos had finally stopped its circular swing, enjoying the moment with another laugh rising from its hollowed rib cage. Emily, unable to do anything without a weapon of her own, and too fearful to run least of all watch him get cut to pieces; cast her eyes away from the sight of the stalfos hefting its greataxe over its head intent on delivering a final blow.

 

It was then, within that split second of time, that a loud snapping sound had echoed throughout the area. The stalfos had let out a shriek, and even with her eyes cast elsewhere to avoid seeing the carnage, Emily had still caught the flash of bright light that had beamed out the minute the sound had been made. Quickly looking back to the fight unfolding, she was surprised to witness the stalfos swaying in a daze on its booted feet. While it teetered in its own bizarre haze, Link had begun to rise up once more, pushing himself away from the tree with another groan, and forcing himself to move towards the creature. With every ounce of strength he could muster, he slammed the Master Sword into the stalfos' skeletal gut, the blow proving to be enough to shatter its bones and scatter them to the ground. Eyeing the creature's skull, Link waited for its glowing red eyes to sputter out, and with a scream worthy of a horror movie from Emily's own world, the orbs within its sockets drifted upwards to dissipate into a plume of red smoke as its bones dwindled down to nothing more than ash at Link's feet.

 

Panting heavily in exhaustion, and injured as he was, Link turned to fully face her as he sheathed his blade to his back. He'd taken a step towards her then, wobbling for a moment before attempting another, just to drop to the ground unconscious.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

When Link had first woken, he'd been groggy and disorientated enough that he'd only managed to piece together small hazy bits of what had happened before. His back ached, his muscles in his arms and legs were sore, and when he'd finally managed to hold his arm up long enough to try and move whatever it was that had been blocking his full vision from view; he'd found that his head had been bandaged. Groaning softly, he moved the bit of cloth, catching the faint scent of a salve that Kotake was pleased as a peach to remind everyone with ears had won her an award amongst the herbalists of Hyrule for its potency. He forced himself to sit up within the bed and focused his eyes upon his surroundings. Taking a look around himself, and slowly adjusting to the stream of tortuous light that spilled in through the window, he realized with a jolt of worry that he was back at the farmhouse. And worse, he had been bandaged and tended to within Malon's own room. Meaning either she had taken up a horse of her own from the stables after he'd hitched a ride on her prized Epona, or that girl...

 

_The girl!_

 

Forcefully he pushed himself up further, ignoring the instantaneous strain he'd placed upon his limbs in the process as he tried to steady himself enough to stand from the bed and search for Malon - Even if it meant he was in for another lecture, likely far worse than any she'd given him before. But whatever fear he had of his oldest friend's barbed tongue, it dwindled down to nothing in the face of the fact that he had no idea where that girl, that Seer, had gone off to. Had she been attacked again after he'd hit the ground in a heap of exhaustion? Was it Malon who had found him then, alone save for the bloody mess another beast might have left of the young woman's steed in its wake like the vision he'd been shown before?

 

For all he knew there could have been another stalfos lurking somewhere nearby, and if the girl had been nabbed, the creature would have had no reason to stick around. As things had always been, the forest was not a friendly place for those who knew not how to traverse its wilds and survive. Stalfos, skull kids, wolfos, skulltula, a number of other things as well if rumors were truly to be originated from some semblance of fact. The villages hunters did not dare venture too far into the thickets of trees and bushes for their game, and over the years they had been forced to take to the easier and far safer chase of the deer that would roam the fields of Hyrule instead. That said, if the Seer had taken off in fear, he may have just managed to win his fight with the stalfos only to lose in rescuing the very person he'd been sent to protect.

 

With further effort he managed to rise to his feet, feeling a rush of vertigo hit him right in the gut. His stomach was empty, his head while tended to was spinning, and with the taste of wild mushrooms tingling at the back of his throat he knew that the old witch had done far more than slap a salve upon his wounds. As for how she managed to get him to drink one of her concoctions while he'd been unconscious? He really didn't want to know. With a light, and very regrettable shake of his head, he carefully began to take what baby-steps he could across the floor, only to hear the echoed sound of booted feet stomping their way up the stairs. Halfway to the door, he watched as it swung open on its hinges revealing Malon holding a tray with a few bottles of Lon Lon Milk, and more of Kotake's red-brew. Her eyes widened upon seeing him up and out of bed, and for a moment she looked as if she were bordering on the verge of tears.

 

But that moment didn't last for long. Slowly, she'd turned just enough to place the tray down on her dresser before making her way to stand toe to toe with him. “If you hadn't already been smacked around in the forest, I'd clock you one so hard your head would fly all the way to Castle Town,” she growled out, surprising him with a swift hug around his middle, her voice slipping into a softer tone. “You had us both scared to death!”

 

Slowly blinking away the shock at her being so gentle despite the fact that he'd actually expected her to throttle him into oblivion – wounds or not – He slowly inched away from her to lift a curious brow that disappeared beneath his bandages. “Us?”

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

After finally talking Malon into helping him shamble his way down the stairs, and further arguing with her that he needed to be certain the girl he had found was indeed safe and sound; she'd finally let out a bothersome sigh and helped him out the front door in search of her. According to Malon, who made it more than clear in at least six different ways that she'd stayed up to wait for him to return - she'd been greeted by the sight of the girl on her horse holding to Epona's reigns to have the mare trailing behind her. Link himself had been draped haphazardly over Epona's saddle like a sack of potatoes. The girl, who Malon finally chose to give a name to as being Emily, had apparently struggled with his weight for almost an hour trying to heft him up without dropping him to get him back on Epona so she could take them to the safety of the village. She and her horse had been so exhausted by the time they'd arrived, Malon couldn't help but offer them a place to stay in the stables. Which, as it turned out, was where she had remained resting along side her stallion once it had been fully proven that he wasn't about to die from his wounds.

 

When he'd tentatively questioned how much Emily had told her of what had happened, he'd instantly received a scowl from the red head who retorted that he should have taken a shield with him. It was at that point she'd intentionally slowed their pace towards the stables further, to lecture him about how he'd near bit off more than he could chew in his race towards the forest. Though, she'd added after her fever-paced speech, Emily had been lucky that he'd arrived in time as he did – And she'd even gone as far as to say she was glad both of them had made it out of that fight in one piece. He'd smiled at his childhood friend then, knowing that while Malon was a bit of a pill from time to time, it was only because she cared. Even if her typical show of caring lead to a few flicks to his ears, and near motherly like lectures. Regardless, she'd taken him to the stables, making sure he could handle the rest of the walk on his own before she headed off to feed the cucco's their afternoon meal.

 

Entering the stables, he sent a warm smile Epona's way as the mare nickered softly at the sight of him from her pen. He wouldn't have made it in time if it weren't for that horse and the speed she was capable of reaching, and as he slowly made his way past her he whispered out a promise to bring her a few apples in thanks for her help. Heading towards the back of the stables, and patting the velveteen muzzles of a few of the horses that had poked their heads out over the doors to their pens to get a look at him as he went, he finally found Emily; sleeping on a bale of hay while the large midnight stallion munched greedily on his own trough of oats likely filled to the brim by Malon herself.

 

Clearing his throat softly, and remembering another speech of Malon's about how some horses can grow protective of their masters - He clicked his tongue in a polite sort of manner to garner the stallion's attention as he approached. Waiting to see if the horse would become miffed by his presence should he get too close, he received a snort of air past its nostrils as it stared at him for just a moment before nickering and returning to its meal as if to say it couldn't care less if he was there or not. Less worried now that he would be trampled into the ground by a horse this time around, he looked back to the Seer, finding moss-green eyes had opened to watch him with an easy smile pulling at her lips.

 

Without the need to rush into a fight in order to protect her this time around, he was finally able to take in more of her appearance in general, and as he did he was quick to take in the strange sort of clothes she wore. Her blackened trousers were torn at the knees, in a way that he couldn't fully decide if it were intentional or not. The boots she wore looked to at least be somewhat normal for someone who took to riding horseback, though they stretched up to the middle of her calves, and also appeared to be made of a darkened stained leather. Her tunic, if one could call it that, left – Well, it wasn't exactly modest to be certain. Green like her eyes, far more low-cut than anything he'd ever seen on anyone in Hyrule before, and it held over her shoulders with little more than small straps of fabric that showed further straps of something she wore beneath it. As for the jacket she'd been using as a pillow, it too was leather in make, black to match her boots and trousers. The gloves she had cast aside next to a large traveling bag though, those were a softer tone of leather, almost gray in color, but clearly meant to keep her hands free from blisters acquired from holding the reigns during a long ride.

 

Watching her sit up, and averting his eyes politely when she'd leaned over a little too far for her tunic to handle; he focused instead for a moment on the saddlebags and gear that she'd removed from her horse to allow him to rest comfortably. From the looks of everything she'd brought with her it was no wonder her horse was as tired as it had looked in the visions Zelda had shown him. The saddlebags carried much, and she'd brought some kind of bedroll with her, which adding on her weight and the traveling bag she'd discarded near her makeshift bed – If that horse had been forced to run from anything before he'd found them it was likely worn as it had appeared from the weight it had been forced to carry. Yet, casting another glance at the horse in question, he supposed with its massive size it had been bred to do so with a relative amount of ease. The stallion rivaled many of the horses in Lon Lon Ranch in size alone, even Epona.

 

“Link?” The girl's voice called out to him curiously, snapping his eyes back to meet her own as she'd slid on her jacket to begin tugging on a small silver-made piece of metal that made a grating sound as it pulled the ends of it together. With a few of the buckled straps still hanging loosely in front of her she quirked a brow at him. “That is your name, isn't it?”

 

He nodded, remembering she had called out to him before in the forest already more than aware of it before she'd even had the chance to allow Malon to talk her ear off when she'd arrived. “Emily?” He asked in turn, being certain he got the pronunciation of the odd name correct. Seeing her smile brighten, he figured he'd done well enough. “I didn't mean to disturb your rest...”

 

Malon was right, he was horrible in finding the right thing to say to a girl, and right now, he felt more than just a little awkward. How exactly was all of this meant to work?

 

“I – It's fine,” she dismissed, clearly finding herself to be feeling just as awkward as he did. “How's your head? You took more than a few bad hits in that fight.”

 

Reaching up to gently smooth his fingers over the wrap at the back of his head, he forced himself not to let out the groan that had tried to move past his lips at finding everything still feeling tender to the touch. “It's better than I thought it would be,” he finally said.

 

On the positive, that wasn't actually a lie. While he was certain Koume and Kotake were both completely insane, they were also brilliant in their insanity. No one else he knew was capable of brewing a potion as effective in healing wounds like Kotake. Fires aside, Koume as well wasn't completely daft either. Her telescope worked, and -

 

“How much do you know about what we are meant to do?” He had to ask, as the minute he'd thought of what he'd seen through that telescope of Koume's his blood had begun to run a bit more chilled than he'd ever like to admit.

 

“Well,” she began softly. “Zelda had shown me the effects of the dark magic spreading throughout some areas within Hyrule. The forest, the mountains, and the ocean. The temples that can be found in each of those places are likely already tainted. But from what I know of the tales of Hyrule itself, its not as simple a thing as just those three. Temples of spirit and shadow also exist.” Taking a moment to think, she shook her head only to frown. “And if I remember correctly, thanks to the terror and the running that immediately followed my chat with her - She made it sound like there was one more after all of that is done where the book is actually hidden away.”

 

“Wait, you spoke with her?” He'd shifted, ignoring the strain he'd felt from moving as quickly as he had. “Did you meet with her directly, then?”

 

“Not exactly,” she admitted with an apologetic look creasing her brow. “She spoke to me in a dream that was so vivid it may as well have been real.” Gesturing to him, she gave a noncommittal half-shrug of her shoulders. “Which, considering I'm here talking to you now, there really isn't much room to argue that it wasn't.”

 

Deflating some at hearing that she too had only met with the Princess in her dreams, Link opted to lean against the stable wall to help quell the aching muscles in his legs. “She came to me in a dream as well. But from what she told me in my sleep, Ganondorf has already seized control of her castle.”

 

“Has news been heard of her outside of that?” Emily asked, surprising him with her own furrowed look of concern for the Princess' well being. He'd shaken his head in the negative, and immediately she let out a sigh of relief. “Good. It means she's safe, and in hiding. I may be some Seer, or whatever, but if he did get a hold of her it wouldn't end well for any of us. Still, I wouldn't be too worried about her on that front. From what I know of her, or of her ancestors, she's more than likely hidden herself well enough to avoid Ganondorf's reach.”

 

Nodding only slightly, as he still couldn't avoid feeling the worry he did over Zelda's current position in all of this, Link's mind thought over what she had told him in an attempt to keep focused on the task assigned to them both. He had figured at least that Death Mountain would be a part of that, and with the stories coming from travelers who had been heading out from the sea side, as well as the huntsman's claims of the forest being sick; those three certainly had made sense. But while there had been news of strange goings on all over Hyrule, pinning down temples of spirit and shadow wasn't entirely easy in his mind. There were, after all, a good amount of various places one could travel to. Well, outside of the desert, which no one in their right mind ventured out into due to the gerudo who...

 

He instantly groaned. “The desert.” A dark brow arched in his direction, Emily sending him a strange look over his reaction to even making mention of that place. “The Gerudo Desert,” he clarified. “One of the other two temples has to be there.”

 

“Spirit,” the young Seer confirmed with a short nod of her head, telling him she'd already expected as much. “Or at least that's the best bet of the two temples left to figure out. As far as I know for shadow, we're going to be looking for a graveyard, and not just any graveyard either. Haunted, and decidedly creepy beyond words on the other hand? If it is, then that will be the place.” Humming softly, her brows nit together in thought until she looked over to her traveling pack only to reach for it and start rummaging through the contents to produce a small book of sorts as well as strange instrument that appeared to hold ink within it's clear center. “Give me a minute,” she said as she started using the strange thing to begin scribbling out lines on the paper within the book.

 

“What is all of that?” He asked, canting his head only slightly so he could get a better view without awakening the massive migraine that still threatened to reappear from his fight with the stalfos.

 

She hadn't replied, merely continuing to draw out whatever it was that had come to her mind. For a few minutes silence stretched between them save for the light sounds of the horses nickering happily over their continued feast of oats. And while he was a tad annoyed that she'd not offered an explanation, he at least was patient enough to know that she was working on trying to give him one. When at last she had finished, she held the book open and showed what she'd drawn to Link who's eyes took in a group of circles. Each one had their own pattern drawn within.

 

Carefully maneuvering the book so she'd not drop it, she reached a finger out and tapped her nail against each one of the circles depicted. “Forest, fire, water, shadow, and spirit. If I had colored ink to use, it would be green, red, blue, purple, and orange. This one,” she added as she tapped her nail against another circle. “Would be gold -” she explained. “Gold is meant to be light. But that's the gist of what each one of those is meant to represent. The symbols are from medallions gifted to one of the old heroes from the Sages of the Sacred Realm when each corresponding temple had been purified. But, in that tale there wasn't really a temple of light to be found so much as the Sage of Light keeping watch over the hero as he slept within the Sacred Realm itself for seven years. So, were looking at having to pin down the location of a temple of light, and if there's supposed to be one more for the book itself... I honestly don't know where it would be either.”

 

Brows furrowing, Link started thinking over what he'd seen in his dream. The colored lights of the steps, magically lit with each one he'd touched down on in his climb to reach the Master Sword. The pattern it had given off held each of those same colors, and an additional one as well. It was his turn to tap a finger against the page, pointing out the rotation he'd seen in his dream.

 

“Fire, forest, water, spirit, shadow, light...” He trailed off. There was one missing, and looking to the oddly made quill the Seer had used, he gestured for her to hand it to him. Complying, she let him take hold of the book as well, watching on as he drew another circle in the middle of them all. “Silver. I think this one is supposed to be for the book itself.” Seeing the curious look on her face, he shrugged. “There was a set of stairs in my dream that I had to climb up to reach the Master Sword. Each step lit up, infused with magic of some kind, and eventually they created a pattern. Red, green, blue, orange, purple, gold, and silver.”

 

Staring at the page, it was obvious to him that she was trying to think it over. In a sense, he was glad to know she knew the legends of Hyrule as well as she did. Though, he wasn't entirely sure how useful old legends would prove to be in the matter of the here and now. It wasn't as if -

 

“Maybe it's a lock?” Emily abruptly asked, clearly not expecting an answer as she leaned further over in her seat to look at the page with his addition sketched out in the middle, minus a symbol to give for any medallion he could think of. “A massive lock guarding the location of the book itself. If she put that much emphasis on the colors rotating like that, even if in an oddly vague way, then maybe the trials of the temples have to be completed in that order. Only then will the location of the Book of Light be revealed. Gold represents light, yes, but the book itself has the potential to be used for either good or evil. Otherwise, it's own name aside, it's still considered neutral, without color until the pages have been written in and it's story finally finished.” Casting her gaze to meet his own, she smiled at him. “That's why the book Zelda showed me started out as silver in color. When used correctly, by someone of good intent, the book turns gold. When used incorrectly, it rots, and turns just as black as the intentions of the one who wrote within it's pages.”

 

“So, we pass the trials of each temple, prove ourselves worthy of reaching it, and purify the darkness that Ganondorf has sent into them,” Link murmured out slowly. “Do it in the order she gave us to be certain we're on the right track. She basically told us the same thing, just in different ways to make sure we pieced it all together. If she knew all of this already why hasn't she done anything to see to it that the book can't be found by anyone herself?”

 

“Because her ancestors were the ones who locked it away,” Emily replied with a sigh. “While mine were sent elsewhere to keep both the Seers and the book itself separated from each other. As powerful as she might be, coming to us as she has in our dreams, I don't think she or just anyone she commands can go waltzing into any of those temples to try and retrieve the book. They're guarded heavily by traps, and all sorts of nasty surprises as it is already. But with Ganondorf's magic adding into the mix, if she did try to enter any of them, he would know. Then, he'd have her too.”

 

“So instead she's been forced to go into hiding while we try to figure it all out,” he surmised with another sigh. “But if she's powerful enough to enter our dreams, to guide us like she has, shouldn't she be -”

 

“Yes, she is powerful. But, its not a matter of the magic she can use to contact us. She's also capable of opening the door to the Sacred Realm,” the Seer countered. “The forces of evil have tried using her ancestors to do just that before. Ganondorf's ultimate goal is the Triforce, and this time he's chosen to bypass trying to use her to get it. To be honest, insane or not, it's still quite brilliant if you think about it. For one, every attempt at using her ancestor's to get to the Triforce has failed, and for two... If the Book of Light is turned into a Book of Fate, written in the way he wants it to be, he'll have not only the Triforce – But the entire world in the palm of his hand. And if he succeeds in setting this tale to his own favored outcome, nothing anyone can possibly do will ever change it. There won't be a next time, or a second chance. Just, eternal darkness. He'd win.”

 

Silence stretched between them again, heavy now instead of simply awkward. Link handed her back her small book and strange quill, looking at her with his jaw set almost tightly. The two of them were meant to do all of that? He couldn't help but wonder if all of Malon's rants about him constantly biting off more than he could chew were far more accurate than he'd given them credit for.

 

“Are you sure you're ready to do any of this?” The question was voiced quietly, and while seemingly directed at her, he knew it had also been directed at himself.

 

“He's already gone after me twice,” Emily whispered, pulling his gaze to look back at her. Her lips had been set into a thin line, and her mossy eyes though partially hidden beneath a swathe of black locks still shined with a show of unshed tears. “He killed my grandfather while trying to get his hands on a Seer who could write in that book for him, and he only wants me now because what power my grandfather had was transferred to me before he could reach him. If I turn around and go home, he'll just get me there anyway. Meaning either way, with or without your help, I'm still a target. There's no one left in my family now but me.” Tilting her head up, eyes still glossy but still holding well to her decision, she gave a stiff shake of her head. “The truth is, no I'm not ready for any of this. I don't know how to use any of this supposed power that I have, and as far as self defense goes - Unless everything we run into can be taken out with a swift kick to the stones, I'm pretty much screwed. But, I don't really have a choice other than to try and see this through to the end.”

 

And with that admission, he realized fully that in the end, neither did he. The odds were rather overwhelmingly stacked against them both, but that resolve he'd had building inside him earlier had returned in full force upon hearing her words. Without him, she would fail, and without her he would as well. Come what may, even if he wasn't sure what they would face when they finally set out on their journey – He wouldn't let her down, he wouldn't let Zelda or Hyrule down either. But more importantly, he wouldn't let himself down by allowing trepidation and fear get the better of him. He'd protect her, he'd find a way, and he'd do what he knew was the right thing to do, even if it cost him his life in the process.

 


	9. Friends and Fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link gets to break the news to Malon that he's leaving, which leads to a friendly competition between them. Emily has her own personal mental breakdown, as the weight of the entire situation she's found herself in finally sets in.

Link had spoken to Emily for a little while longer, primarily so they could figure out what all they needed to prepare for their journey once he was able to move freely without feeling like every bone in his body was about to snap. He'd let her take her leave once Malon had offered the use of her bathtub when she'd returned to find them still in the stables. It was then, as Emily was busy getting cleaned up, that he had told Malon as vaguely as possible that he intended to leave soon with the raven haired girl. She'd handed him back the ocarina, though clutched to it tightly as questions had spilled forth from her like the thundering waves of a waterfall, and he'd answered what he could. Though, he had also readily told her that the less she knew of where they were going, and what they intended to do, the better.

 

There was already more than enough for him to be worried about, and Malon possibly being sought out by the Gerudo King to obtain information on their whereabouts was not something he wished to add to that list. Still he knew he'd wound up surprising her as he'd refused to cave to her further pestering on the topic. Eventually she had relented with a heavy sigh and a bitter utterance that somehow she'd always known he would end up leaving Rosewood; but that she'd just not expected him to be doing so on the whims of some stranger.

 

“There's more to it than that,” he said gently, shifting the weight of the blue ocarina around in his hands, and keeping in mind that the slight barb she'd thrown wasn't due to a dislike of Emily. Rather, it was just her overprotective nature of those she knew and cared for coming into play.

 

She looked up at him from the rim of her teacup, eyes scanning him over intently for a reason even he couldn't fully figure out. After a few minutes, and a slowly exhaled breath that may have been more of an attempt to cool her tea rather than a sigh, Malon leaned back in her chair and placed her teacup down upon the table. “What are you going to need?”

 

The question threw him off guard. For one he knew she wouldn't be fond of the idea of him running off, especially not after seeing his 'triumphant return' the night before. What with the bleeding, and the unconsciousness, and all. But when he'd taken note of the serious edge within her eyes, the tightly held set of her lips, and the small crease between her brows that came only with a deeply considered thought process on her part; he knew she wasn't going to try to convince him to stay. Instead, she was actually offering to lend a hand in any capacity that she could.

 

“Well,” he drawled slightly, considering the obvious offer behind that question. “After the fight with the stalfos I'm inclined to agree with you that I will be needing a shield.” She'd scoffed at that, but all the same she silently gestured with a roll of her wrist for him to continue. “We're going to need to stock up on some of Kotake's potions, maybe a few bottles of milk to last for the first few days of the trip. Provisions...” He trailed off there, swallowing thickly as he knew the next item on the list might very well send her spiraling back into her previous stance that he shouldn't be going anywhere. “A horse.”

 

Her eyes had narrowed then, just as he'd expected, but with a subtle click of her tongue against her cheek she gave a reluctant nod of her head. “I suppose that makes sense. Emily's horse is a magnificently bred steed. But it can't carry herself, her items, you, and everything else all at once.” Lifting her cup back up to her lips, she took a small sip, allowing the warmth within it to seep into her hands as she continued to hold it steady. “What about Emily? Is there anything you know of that she might need?”

 

Brows pulling together tightly, as he thought over all the two of them had discussed, Link considered something in particular that she'd said. “She said something before, about how her skills in self defense were limited to kicks to the stones?”

 

Malon laughed, outright and near joyously at the crooked sort of look of curiosity on his face. “You don't know what she meant by that? Truly?” Giggling further, she shook her head at him. “Remember the first time you upset Cojiro and he cornered you in the goats pen? That blue cucco pecked the rump of Oldie, and in turn that goat kicked you so hard you had to take a cold bath every night for a week to get your bearings back in order.” Seeing his eyes widen as realization dawned on him, Malon let out another string of laughter. “Now you got it.”

 

Clearing his throat, and making a personal note to himself not to do anything that might have her foot colliding with his 'stones' as Emily had put it, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Do you have anything she might be able to use instead of -”

 

“Instead of trying to bust the bits of anything you two might happen to come across?” Malon finished his question for him with a wide grin of amusement. “Well, I do still have my old bow from those archery lesson's I took when we were kids. It would be easier for her to use than something you'd find at the smithy. It is meant for beginners, and the string isn't held too taught that she'd have trouble pulling it back and holding it to line up a shot. But she's still going to need a lot of help with figuring out how to use it right.”

 

With the mental picture of the Seer rushing towards enemies with nothing more than her thick riding boots to fight with, Link decided a bow that both kept her back from the fray and protected her better than the other option was a good bet. “That should work, and I could probably teach her how to use it as we go.”

 

A cocky smirk made its way to Malon's lips. “That so, _Grasshopper_?” She asked, using his old nickname to emphasize her doubtfulness that he'd be able to teach Emily how to use it right on his own. “The closest you've ever come to picking up a bow was that dinky little slingshot of yours. Similar, I suppose, but certainly not the same thing.”

 

Hearing the challenge in her voice, Link scoffed, playing along as he would when they were kids. “Are you sure about that, _Horsefly_?” His own nickname for her was shot back, and it had the desired effect showing plainly as she'd immediately rose from her chair.

 

“Alright then,” she said. “I'll go set up some targets by the barn. If you think you're so tough that you can pull it off after years of not even using that slingshot of yours... I'll give you the bow, and I'll even think about training Emily before you leave on how to use it. But if you can't, she's stuck with that old slingshot.” Seeing the playfulness leave his expression in an instant, her smirk grew further. “I'll see you outside.”

 

Watching her leave to do exactly as she said she would, Link let out a laugh despite the throb of pain it still sent throughout him. Slowly, and carefully since no one was there to see him stumble in the process, he stood up from his seat; pocketing the ocarina before he moved to follow after her. He hurt in all the wrong places, but he knew Malon well enough not to linger behind. A challenge issued from her was to be met then and there. Otherwise, whatever bet was put on the table would be taken off it in a heartbeat.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

When Emily had finished taking her bath, she'd looked for a means to drain the large wooden tub only remember she wasn't exactly back home. A wooden tub wasn't going to have working plumbing to spit the dirty water out elsewhere. In that moment, standing there in Malon's washroom with a towel clutched to her chest, she finally realized in full just how deep of a hole it was that she'd truly found herself in. It wasn't the fact that this world wasn't yet versed in the ways of plumbing, but it was the fact that this world wasn't actually her own. Yet, it was, if Zelda's words were to be believed.

 

Reaching a hand up to cover her mouth, as a near choked gasp left her, she started thinking about everything that she had been sent here to do and how utterly insane all of it truly was. Sitting down on the small stool Malon had in the room beside the tub, toppling over her own small bottles of travel shampoo and conditioner in the process; she leaned her elbows onto her knees and started slowly rocking herself back and forth.

 

With each inhale and exhale of breath, her entire chest started to feel tighter and tighter. A panic attack, and despite never having one before, she still knew it had to be one. Of course with how everything about her life in general had been warped, and to the extremes that things had been taken to in the process, why wouldn't she be having one? She was in Hyrule, planning on starting a journey with Link to save the world from a psychotic, egomaniac, narcissist of a man, who wanted to crush the very life out of the world around him and rule with an iron fist. The stalfos, the wolfos, that creeping sickness in the forest... Here and now, with everything that lay ahead of them, those encounters at best were just the small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. Small, small, small ones. Microscopic even, and those microscopic potatoes had scared the absolute hell out of her.

 

Still trying to reel in her heartbeat, her breathing, and now the tears that were streaming down her cheeks; she desperately tried to think of any reason at all for her to not allow herself to give in to the tide of emotions that threatened to pull her into the abyss. But with the way things had played out. Her grandfather being murdered, her dream-chat with Zelda, the rush to escape the creature's that horrible man had sent after her in the forest, the second fear ridden dash after she'd arrived, the stalfos... It wasn't working, none of it was working. And worse, what she'd said to Link before in the stables was true. She had no choice but to see all of this through to the end. Taking in another shuddering breath, and with her nose now effectively plugged up from all of the crying she'd been doing as of late; Emily shakily reached over to her traveling bag to grab one of the rolls of toilet paper she'd packed into the larger pockets for what she'd thought would be a simple camping trip in her grandfather's memory.

 

With the toilet paper she'd torn free from the roll, she shoved what was left back into the bag with a grunt before blowing her nose and sending a glare at the wooden floor beneath her feet. She wanted to be mad, wanted to scream, wanted to do something – Anything now other than sitting there naked as the day she was born crying on a tiny stool in some farmhouse in the middle of Hyrule. But here she was, adding to the entire scope of just how ridiculous all of this was. Her grandfather should have told her, should have tried... But then, her conscious reminded her quickly, why would he when he felt her days of believing in his stories were long since gone? Now she was just mad at herself, mad at the circumstances that had lead to her losing her faith in anything outside of what she could see and touch right in front of her. There wasn't anyone who could truly take the blame for any of it outside of Ganondorf for instigating the entire thing to begin with.

 

And just like that, she was back to being afraid again. Afraid of what would happen to her if he did get his hands on her, of what would happen even to the world around her, maybe even the world she knew. After all, if he could take over here, and knew about her own world now as well – What's to stop him from setting his sights there next? If he could reach through a mirror to kill her grandfather, send monsters through it even to try and catch her, and all without the Triforce? Who's to say he wouldn't be able to fully break through if he obtained it? From what she knew of the Gerudo King of Thieves, that was quite literally something that was right up his alley as a long term plan for his greedy future. Why stop at one world when you could potentially rule over two?

 

Sighing heavily, she leaned her head back against the wall behind her to close her eyes and let out a frustrated grunt. She had already managed to ride an emotional roller coaster to its end, only to wind up feeling so drained that she'd finally started taking far more steadier breaths now than she had been since it all had hit her like a ton of bricks. What was she really supposed to be doing here anyway? She didn't know where to begin on even trying to figure out how whatever powers her grandfather had gifted her with worked. The only thing she really had going for her right now was she hadn't been kidnapped in the forest, or killed for that matter, and she had found Link. But while history, or what may as well be referred to as such under the circumstance, proved that he would be more than just a valuable ally who would look out for her – The problem was that the weight of all of this didn't just land on him to carry.

 

“ _Do your best to hold on to the wonder you once had of the world around you. More often than not it is the ordinary things in life that can blossom into the extraordinary.”_

 

Her eyes slowly opened as she recalled the last thing her grandfather had said to her before she'd left for work. Before everything had gone to hell. Another sigh escaped her then, and she looked around herself to see the mess she'd made with her bottles scattered to the floor and her bag half emptied of its contents in her search for something to blow her nose with. The ordinary things can blossom into the extraordinary? She let out a small hollow laugh at that. Well if he'd meant all of this, then it certainly had become more than just extraordinary. In fact, if it got anymore extraordinary than this she'd probably end up being committed to an asylum. Of course, that's only if she survived the entire thing to begin with.

 

Grabbing up the towel she'd wound up dropping in her little meltdown, she stood and finally started drying herself off. There was no escaping any of this. That was the reality of it all, twisted though it was. But while she'd lost her child-like fascination long ago, she had picked up a new ability in the process; facing reality for what it was. This... Somehow, this would prove to be no different.

 

Or so she tried to tell herself.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Outside near the barn, Link had watched with a slack-jawed look upon his face as Malon had taken up her old bow and nearly nailed every single target with a clean bullseye. He wasn't sure if she'd been practicing when he was elsewhere doing the heavier lifting around the farm, or if she was simply doing it all by muscle memory alone. Either way, it wasn't something to scoff at, and with the grin of obvious pride that quirked her lips; it was a safe bet to say that she knew it too.

 

“Think you can top that, _Grasshopper_?” She asked, holding out her bow for him with a fierce glint in her eye.

 

Taking it from her, and feeling more than just a bit nervous now as his mind had chimed in with the reminder that he was still sore, and he'd never fired a bow before in his life. “Let's find out,” he replied with the same cocky tone she'd sent his way, all while trying to mask his slight limp with a swagger in his gait.

 

Bluffing complete, he ignored the arched brow that silently told him she wasn't blind to it in the slightest, moving instead to take up the firing position she'd drawn into the dirt when she'd been setting the targets up. Doing his best to mimic the same stance he'd seen her use, and once more ignoring the feeling of her scrutinizing gaze holding to him; he pulled an arrow free from the quiver he'd strapped to his hip in an effort to make things easier on himself. Either he was about to fail spectacularly, or, he was about to show her up. Personally, he hoped it was the latter of the two as Emily would probably need more than just a slingshot to keep herself protected in the days to come, as no matter how hard he would try to see her through their journey safely; that didn't negate the fact that he himself was still new at all of this. Old soul of a hero or not, the two of them would have to be able to work together in keeping themselves safe from harm.

 

With that thought in mind, he pushed back his own bodies desire to flinch under the strained pull his muscles felt just from holding the bow up. With the first of his arrows notched into place, he drew back on the bowstring with a small grunt through gritted teeth. Focusing on how he used to gauge the tilt of his old slingshot in order to nail whatever target he would aim for, he thought over the differences between the two as he begun to tilt his shot, keeping in mind that the bow in his hands had a farther reach than that of his old weapon of choice. If the shot angled too much it would miss entirely, and if it didn't angle enough, he'd do little in the means of beating Malon's score. With it lined up as best as he could gauge, his arms feeling tighter now than the string at his fingertips, he pulled just a touch further and unleashed his first shot.

 

The arrow sailed through the air with an echoing twang from the bow's string snapping back, and the moment it hit he found himself glaring at the course it had wound up taking. Sure it had hit the target, but too high as it embedded itself along the outer most rim of the circle. Malon's laughter rang out immediately, booted feet moving her to stand beside him as his arms had dropped to his sides in exhaustion from just that one failed shot. She looked to him with a mixture of mirth, and pity.

 

“Can you even hold that up again?” She asked, taunting, but not with cruelty to it. “You can't look at it the same way you did your slingshot, Link.”

 

He'd grunted, annoyed but not with her so much as he was with himself. She was right, and he knew it, but he had never been good at admitting defeat to her. Even when they were kids. Now though, he found himself letting out a sigh, as he had to hand it to her this time. He really couldn't lift that bow again just yet, not with his arms burning like the fires of Death Mountain.

 

Handing her the bow, and earning a small look of surprise on her features, he shook his head. “My arms are still too stiff,” he admitted. “And you're right, I don't know what I'm doing.”

 

Blinking at him, she made a sound akin to a scoff that slowly began to turn into a light laugh. “Link,” she beckoned. “I can teach you if you want. You're probably going to need a day or so before the full effects of that potion Kotake gave you finally kick in anyway.” Seeing him frown, as she'd just readily admitted to have knowingly tricked him into a bet that he couldn't have won, Malon shrugged. “Look I don't like the idea of you going off. But you have your reasons, whatever they are. And as a friend, I want to know that when you leave here you're prepared to face anything you might encounter.”

 

“So you don't plan on giving the bow to Emily?” He asked a little flatly.

 

“I could teach her how to use it,” she replied. “But if you two intend to take off sooner rather than later, I can't exactly make her into a professional at it. In the end it would be better if I taught you, that way she could pick up on something a little easier first, and while you're traveling you can teach her yourself. Besides, you've always been a fast learner.”

 

Thinking it over, and seeing her own logic behind it all, he relented with a small nod. “How long will it take to get everything ready to go?”

 

“About a week,” she answered. “Provision's alone are going to cost a good amount of rupees, and those potions of Kotake's aren't cheap either. But you're right in thinking you'll need them, if anything we've heard in town about the state of Hyrule holds any merit anyway. If you want, we can try teaching Emily to use your slingshot first while I train you with the bow. It's not much, but it'll help her if she needs it, and beginners bow or not - the slingshot will be easier for her to pick up. I don't think she's ever held a weapon before.”

 

“This was your real plan all along wasn't it?” He grumbled.

 

“No.” Malon laughed. “This is what you get for calling me Horsefly.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, short chapter is short. But I felt it best to end it where I did as there wasn't much else I could find myself trying to write out to add to this that wouldn't make it longer than it really needed to be.
> 
> On the plus side I'm still way ahead in writing all of this, and it's still been a lot of fun for me to work on. I've also been trying to draw out some of the characters within this fic. Oddly, I can't seem to master drawing out my favorite one so far - Pan. (Mainly because he's just a lot of fun to write.) But hopefully I can start posting some of the art I've done to go along with this up on DA. Regardless, I won't post some of the ones I have drawn out until those characters get introduced as the story continues. Still, once I do start posting I'll add a link in a note to my DA page so anyone who reads this can take a look. ^^


	10. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link learns some things he'd never thought he'd ever hear when he takes Emily to the potion shop. Training, and general preparing begin for him and Emily to start their journey.

While he wouldn't disagree with anyone who would say the elderly twins were missing a few marbles, the look of thinly concealed fear Emily currently wore on her face was not one he'd expected. He'd brought her into Rosewood with him, as Malon's payment from the local tavern had come in after she'd delivered an early restock of milk to supply it with, and as such he'd been sent to town to get the potions they would need. Thing was, the minute the young Seer had heard of just whom they'd be stopping by to visit, she'd gone near as rigid as a corpse in the middle of the road. Trying to figure out why, he pondered further over anything Malon might have said to him in the day or so that he'd spent recovering, only to remember that this wasn't the first time she'd shown a fear of the old woman.

 

According to Malon, when Kotake had arrived to force her healing potions down his unconscious throat, Emily had disappeared swiftly into the barn; and only when Kotake's cackle had been heard in her grand exit through the gates was she willing to come out once more. While Malon had contributed her reaction to being similar to the same one most would generally have when hearing the old woman cackle like a witch, Link was inclined to believe there was more to it than just that.

 

“Why are you so afraid?” He finally asked outright, as gently nudging her closer to the bright blue potion shop wasn't working in the slightest. “At least we're not visiting Koume, she might be working on something that could potentially blow us all up.”

 

“That's not helping,” Emily muttered with a frown, eyes still glued to the swirling symbol painted to the door of the shop. “Are you certain they're both – I mean, they've never tried to...” She trailed off, waiting for a group of villagers to make their way past them before leaning closer to him to whisper. “They've never gone insane, and combined themselves into a giant witch flinging ice and fire everywhere before, have they?”

 

“You're... not joking are you?” He asked the question seriously, realizing that she was asking because that's exactly what she expected them to do. “No, they haven't done that before. Though, Koume has nearly blown up the town while working on her experiments. Kotake has also iced over a few buildings,” he added in afterthought, clearing his throat as the expression on her face had turned grim. “They're not allowed to use their magic in their spats anymore.”

 

The offer of a means to lessen her fears seemed to do very little in the end. “Lovely,” she replied with a sigh. “So, they really are just - Normal?”

 

Link snorted at that, earning a scowl this time from the Seer. “I wouldn't say normal, but they aren't going to curse us or try to kill us. Not intentionally anyway,” he added as he remembered the sad fate of Koume's cat, Mittens.

 

That had been the oddest funeral he'd ever attended in his life.

 

“Okay,” she finally said, still looking nervous, but at least she didn't seem near to running in the opposite direction anymore. “Let's just get this over with.”

 

Chuckling softly at her timidness, Link stepped forward to lead the way, unsurprised to find her keeping close to his side in the process. Reaching out to open the door to Kotake's shop, and trying not to roll his eyes at her murmuring out something about how it was good he had brought the Master Sword with him at least; he lead the way inside and called out for Kotake. The minute the old woman heard her name called, a plume of blue smoke erupted behind the counter as she revealed herself. Large eyes looked the pair over, only for a silver brow to arch as she turned her attention towards Emily who had scooted further behind him in an effort to keep him between herself and the elderly potion maker.

 

He probably should have warned her how pointless an attempt like that would truly be.

 

Curious as she'd always proven herself to be, Kotake had immediately poofed herself from behind her counter, only to reappear behind Emily and curl her bony fingers over the girl's shoulder. Spinning her around to face her so she could get a better look at the young woman, Kotake had effectively pulled a squeak out of Emily who had gone near as bug eyed as she was. Kotake hummed, almost thoughtfully, and spun her further away from Link to get the full view of her odd choice in clothing.

 

“This ones new,” she croaked out curiously. Her eyes were narrowing to bulgy slits as Emily had near scurried back to hide behind him. “Frightened as a field mouse she is!” Clicking her tongue, chastising in sound, she let out a huff. “Rude to stare girl! I'm a potion maker, not a blasted executioner like that batty-brained sister of mine! I cure what ails you!”

 

“Nothing is currently ailing me at the moment,” Emily murmured out, audibly swallowing down her fears as she tried to show some courage and step out of his shadow on her own. “We're just here to purchase some of your potions for a trip.”

 

“Eaah! What, what, what?” The old witch cocked a brow once more, looking now to Link as she moved closer to lean over into his face. “What trip? Who is she?”

 

Trying not to let the smile on his face show as being anywhere near as amused as he truly was by seeing the two of them interacting with one another, Link gestured politely towards the Seer. “This is Emily,” he answered, knowing Kotake would ask for more than that. “The young woman I rescued from the forest.”

 

Blinking, as though she'd forgotten, Kotake slowly turned her gaze toward the raven haired girl at his side once more. “Ah yes,” she crooned. “The one who ran faster than a jackrabbit at the sight of me when you were bleeding all over the place.” With a wickedly amused cackle, she poofed herself back behind her counter. “Have no fears, dearie! As my motto goes: Buy a potion, and survive my sister's latest invention!” She'd crooked a bony finger upwards to the sign above her head, smiling as kindly as she was capable of. “Crazy sister of mine is far more terrifying than the stalfos in the forest! Just ask her blasted cat,” she added with another cackle. “So, Link, what is it that Kotake can do for the two of you today?”

 

“We're going to Kakariko,” he replied as he stepped forward to lean against the counter's edge. “I thought we might need a few of your potions to take with us, just in case.”

 

Humming ever so slightly, she gave a jerked nod of her head, up until she suddenly let out a squawk of surprise. “Wait, wait, wait! Kakariko?! Do you plan on going off to do something about this business with the sky?” When his eyes had widened, she'd bounced in excitement on her spindly legs. “Good, good, good! That sister of mine may say the sky's not fallin' but I know better! Can feel these things in my bones! That and those damnable mushrooms of mine aren't growing anymore in the forest like they should be.” With a grunt, she hefted up a few bottles filled with her standard red concoction. “Wood's gone sick now too just like Death Mountain. Darkness is closing in all around, and it's only a matter of time before... BOOM!” She'd slammed her hands against the counter in emphasis, making Emily jump in surprise to hover around behind him again. “We're all going straight to the afterlife!”

 

“You think the sky is falling?” Emily asked, before Link could stop her. “So you don't know who's behind all of this?” The skepticism in her tone alone had Kotake's brows furrowing tightly.

 

“Why would I?” The old woman hissed incredulously. “You're the one here with a gift of foresight, girl!” Seeing the surprise written on both of the youngster's faces, Kotake let out a snorted scoff. “Oh I know well enough! May not have seen your likes in centuries! But I know that kind of power when I see it, and sure as the sun I see it standin' here now. So, tell me little miss 'I know everything about everything', who's responsible for all of this?”

 

“Ganondorf,” the Seer replied, narrowing her eyes now to have a near stare off with Kotake. “Who from what I know, is technically you, and your sisters, adoptive son.”

 

“Is that true?” Link asked, looking between the two of them now with both worry – and growing understanding now behind why Emily had been so against coming here in the first place.

 

Kotake straightened her posture, eyeing the young girl further before reluctantly nodding her head. “So you do know of that business.” It wasn't a question, more of a sad observation of her own as she bent down to pull forth a few of her red potions from beneath the counter; and seeming to ignore Link's question entirely as she continued. “That little brat,” she hissed once more. “He's the reason we're here, Koume and I. Kicked us out! Took the best of our young years, all the knowledge we had, just to call us both old coots not worthy of his kingdom. We knew he was up to somethin', but I can't say I thought he'd be heading for this kind of calamity.”

 

“But historically speaking -”

 

“Don't tell me of history, girl!” The rebuke of her words was punctuated with another firm slap to the counter that near toppled the bottles over. The air around them grew cold, and Kotake's blue gem upon her forehead began to glow with a warning of what would happen if she were pushed too far. “He took up that name the day he kicked us out! Changed it, and it was then we knew something had gone wrong with him. We raised him to rule the Gerudo, not to go making the sky fall! After all, what's the point of ruling the world if there isn't a world left to rule over?”

 

“You didn't know he was going to usurp you?” Emily pressed, ignoring the look Link had sent her way over just where this conversation had headed.

 

“No,” Kotake replied with a drawn out edge of sadness and guilt. “We knew when we found him, abandoned as he was, that he was meant for greatness amongst the Gerudo. But we didn't give him the name of Ganondorf ourselves. The Gerudo have been dying off, not unlike your kind did. That history you speak of aside, we thought it'd be different this time around. Reborn as the two of us are, we'd hoped to change our own fate. So, we taught him the ways of a King of our people, taught him our magic. But he cast us aside once he realized how powerful he truly was becoming. Even the Gerudo do not wish for us to remain, as their King has ruled us outsiders not to be permitted.”

 

“So you're -” Emily trailed off there, eyeing the old woman with critical eyes before huffing out a sigh. “My apologies, then. I know all of the old tales, the history of Hyrule. But, I'm having to adjust to the changes that have come since time has passed on here. I meant no offense.”

 

With another snort, Kotake dismissed the young Seer's apology, looking now to Link with a curiosity he'd only seen in her gaze once – And that had not ended well. “Red potions for health,” she mused, still watching him with buggy eyes and a strange quirk to the sides of her wrinkled mouth. “Should take green's with you, lad. Magic is everywhere, and eventually, you might find yourself wielding it as well.”

 

Glancing at Emily, who nodded her head in agreement, Link cleared his throat before speaking as he wasn't entirely sure just what kind of magic she was talking about. Least of all, how he felt about everything he'd just heard. “What kind of magic?”

 

“The kind only a reborn hero could possibly wield,” she retorted with a cackle. “Pah! You've a Seer in your midst, lad! Ask her of such things! And do be kind enough to not go blastin' my sister and I with it when you learn it this time around! The worst the two of us can do anymore is argue like the witches we are amongst ourselves.” Humming out a little tune, she plucked up a few more bottles filled with an olive color liquid to place on the counter with the reds. “I'd make you my special get up and go booster blue, but without those mushrooms this will have to do.”

 

Feeling uneasy as his mind traveled back and forth between what Emily had said, what all he had just learned, and finally to the thought of just how much all of this would cost him; Link reached for the rupee's Malon had given him. “How much?”

 

Clicking her tongue, and smiling even further now as she canted her head, Kotake tapped a bony digit against the counter. “Hundred-fifty rupees, lad. A discount, if I may say so! But, in exchange, I want something from you.”

 

“The mushrooms,” Emily said with a small smile all her own, surprising Link with how easily she was now handling being there.

 

Nodding near enthusiastically now, Kotake chuckled at the look on Link's face. “Won't find 'em in that forest, not now anyway. But there are other places in Hyrule, places that even I can not venture to. Find them, and bring them to me. If you do, I'll brew my specialty for you, and with enough leftover, I'll even have some to sell to those refugee's from Castle Town.”

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++

 

“You're telling me those two can combine themselves into a giant woman that shoots fire and ice out at whatever they wish?” He asked, yet again, as they'd walked back towards the ranch.

 

“Yup,” she replied, a grin holding on her face as she'd watched his bewildered expression rotate between a good assortment of other emotions. Fear, surprise, something that told her he may not be too surprised now that he'd thought about it further, and then a little bit of relief as it seemed neither old women we're as bad as all that. “On the plus side, I don't think Kotake was lying when she told us what happened with her and Koume. The two of them are fierce despite their age, but if he really did throw them out I can't see them being keen on aiding him. They're also quite quick to remain bitter.”

 

He'd snorted at that, nodding slightly. “That much is true. They hold grudges for a good long while from what I've seen over the years.”

 

“Link,” she called with a small sigh. “Do you really think we can do this?”

 

The question had him near pausing in his steps as he looked to her from the corner of his eye. Clearly she was still feeling some of the same doubt and trepidation he too had wrestled with once already. But if he was supposed to be the big hero reborn as Zelda had said he was, he had to hold to the faith that she was not wrong. “We'll do it,” he replied firmly. “It will not be an easy venture, but I won't let you down. I won't let the Princess down either.”

 

She giggled a little at that. “Of course you won't let the Princess down, you like her too much to fail her.” She nudged him with her elbow. “Your ears are already turning pink, so don't bother,” she said before he could deny her teasing words.

 

“Already making use of your abilities?” He muttered, slightly annoyed but more curious than anything else.

 

“Nope,” she replied. “I have no idea how they work, which isn't helping on the whole 'we can do this' front. But, when it comes to the Princess, you and those before you have always had a soft spot for her and her ancestors.”

 

Clearing his throat, and ignoring the smile still at her lips, he pushed onward towards the ranch – and changed the subject entirely. “Have you given yourself anymore time to practice with the slingshot?” Seeing her amusement fade, he sighed. “What happened?”

 

“I kind of shot myself in the forehead with it this morning,” she replied, honestly, and with a flush of her own.

 

Flexing his arms a little, wondering if he could give it a go in showing her again without overexerting himself before Malon dragged him off for more practice with her bow; he decided it would be best to at least try. He also decided that holding in his laughter at that was probably for the best. “You're going to need that until we can get you started on something a little better. Once we get back, I'll try showing you the ropes again.”

 

“Thank you,” she replied. “I know I'm kind of a hindrance here. I don't know what to do with my own supposed abilities, how they work or what it is even that I'm supposed to do with that stupid book short of write in it. But, I'll do my best not to be a burden.”

 

“I'd not call you a hindrance,” he said kindly. “You did help me with the stalfos. We're it not for your input I would have probably been hit far worse than I had been. What you know, even if it isn't in the power you hold, is not something you should think to dismiss. With everything that lies ahead of us, it will be you who guides us through the trials, even if it is me who does all the fighting to get us there.”

 

“Then I'll do my best not to let you get skewered,” she replied. “Honestly, there's quite a lot of things that will probably try to do that. Or blow us up. Or poison us. Or -”

 

“Got it,” he said, cutting her off with an only slightly nervous chuckle as he'd thankfully reigned in most of his rattled thoughts to keep the full amount of their results from shining through. “We'll be fine. I promise.”

 

++++++++++++++++++++

 

The next four days were spent training Emily up with her slingshot. During which he'd seen first hand her earlier mentioned ability, or lack there of as the case had been, in utilizing the weapon. She'd hit herself again in the forehead. Still with direction, and some grating on his nerves, she'd finally started hitting targets. Not with as much grace or skill as he'd of liked, considering they had very nearly run out of time to wait around. But in the end it would have to do, as Malon had already showed him all that she could with her bow, and their provisions, his shield, and everything else had been packed for the trip ahead. His wounds had healed up at least, and once he'd finished practicing with Malon, he would take to practicing with the new shield the smithy had delivered to the ranch.

 

Testing out it's weight had been interesting, it had been lighter than he'd thought upon first seeing it. But at the same time were he not careful it would throw him off. Still, he could roll with it, and if he angled it right he found he could do so while still blocking. With the Master Sword in one hand, the iron shield with Rosewood's insignia within the other, he'd set about countless hours of practice drills with the stationary dummies Malon had made for him. From time to time as well, Emily and Malon both would come to watch his practice. Malon would mostly tease him, but every now and then Emily would pose a possible scenario for him to modify his strikes and blocks for. Giant skulltula, for instance, would drop down from hiding overhead. She'd told him their skulled bodies were no good for striking at directly until they'd turned to reveal their underbellies to his sword. She'd also warned him that they would swing around on their webbing, and that the blow would be far more painful than he might expect if he was not ready to deflect it.

 

Malon had seemed impressed by her insight, as well as curious how such a strange girl that clearly wasn't from around their neck of the woods could possibly know any of what she'd said during his training. But regardless, mostly due to him telling her once more that the less she knew the better, she had let the matter drop. Offering instead, her own advice on his footing, and even a few tips for other things like climbing in the event he had to reach something out of way.

 

With things beginning to come around full circle, or as close as they could get it, Link had decided they would leave after one final day at Lon Lon Ranch. Feeling guilty about leaving all of the work to Malon, he'd woken earlier than he ever had before. Tending to his work over training, he'd fed the cucco's, and had even been kind to Cojiro. He'd hefted crates, cleaned the stables, tended to the cows, and even made dinner for the three of them. As for Malon, she'd been in town most of the day, finishing up some final touches or another to something else she said they would require before they'd headed out.

 

When she'd returned near nightfall, she'd smiled brightly at the effort he'd put in around the ranch on her behalf. “Of course you'd do all of this before you leave me to do it again tomorrow,” she'd quipped, still grinning ear to ear. “Thank you. But you needn't worry. I found someone who can help out around here in town today.”

 

“Oh?” He asked, sitting at the table in the kitchen and eating the stew he had made for dinner. Emily had helped, as he'd been a little out of his element there, but she had at least been kind enough to not say anything of the matter. “Who?”

 

“One of the refugee's from Castle Town,” Malon replied, dipping her spoon into the strew to blow out a puff of air at it. “She's a really nice young woman. Apparently she used to help tend to the goats at that old farm near the castle gates. She's not used to cows, but she does need a way to earn a living and I didn't think being a serving girl at the tavern was a good idea for her.”

 

Nodding, and smiling at her generosity, Link took another bite of his food; chewing it over before swallowing. “I hope you don't plan on sticking her in the stables.”

 

“Of course not,” Malon replied with ease, finally popping her own bite into her mouth as she chewed while intently staring at him. “I'm giving her your tree-house.”

 

Emily had laughed, seeing him near choke on the bite he'd had in his mouth when he'd heard Malon's tart reply. “Oh my,” she mused, reaching over to smack at his back until he started coughing to clear his throat. “That's – really got to hurt, actually.”

 

Snickering as Link tried and failed to reply, Malon shook her head at him. “Don't even start," she said, hoisting her spoon up to wave it around.  "It's entirely fair. Besides, considering what I'm giving you before you leave tomorrow – I have every right to make use of that tree-house you built on my property while you're gone doing goddess knows what.”

 

“You're giving me a bow,” he retorted. “That's not the same as giving away my house.”

 

“I'm giving you the most important thing I have,” she replied, voice schooled into the perfect show of politeness. “I'm giving you Epona, Link.” He'd stopped glaring at her then, letting out a huff as he nodded slightly. “You know what that horse means to me. But I also know that you need more than just some old mare to get you through whatever it is you're doing. You always bite off more than you can chew, and Epona is the best horse this ranch has ever seen. Heck, she's likely the best horse in all of Hyrule next to Emily's Titan. My father gave her to me when we we're little, you know how close I am to that horse. But she's close to you too, after all – Were it not for her, you wouldn't have been able to rescue Emily here in time. So she's yours. For now, anyway.”

 

Seeing Emily sending him a smile from the corner of his eye, he sighed. “Malon, I – Thank you. I'll take good care of her.”

 

“You'd better,” Malon retorted. “Otherwise she'll buck you free from her saddle just like I told her to if you start acting like a fool.”

 

Of course she would. Still, he'd found himself laughing at that, pleased to have some levity before the dawn brought with it the daunting task ahead of him and the Seer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I have no intentions of drawing out their stay in Rosewood too much, as it would be pretty stupid for them to just sit around there forever. I did feel it was best to have at least a transitional chapter in place that shows them preparing. In game Link's just like “Oh, cool beans!” and runs off. But in reality if you're looking at traveling like that you aren't going to just leave with a few deku nuts, some arrows, and an ocarina. Not if you plan on, well, surviving. :P 
> 
> As a side note the Twinrova fight in OOT is my favorite boss fight of the entire game. So much so in fact I always find myself saving the second half of the Spirit Temple for last before heading to the castle to kick some booty.


	11. Of Saying Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, they're off! With everything I have in mind here, I'm doing my best to try and keep things in order. This chapter in particular, I think, is the shortest one I've written so far. However with what's coming up here in the next few it wouldn't have worked so well to add anymore to it than I already have. In that regard, I have opted to post two chapters to make up for it, as the next is longer.

“Malon,” Link beckoned as he leaned over, awkwardly waving to the crowd of people gathered outside the gates. “Why is half the town here?”

 

“They wanted to see you off,” she replied with a roll of her eyes. “Despite what you think - You've never been a burden to anyone here, Link. They'll miss you, and they simply wish to send you off knowing as much.”

 

He'd had no reply to give to that, unaware that Malon had known he'd always felt that way – He instead allowed those who had gathered at the gates to send him smiles and waves of their own as he felt a small pang of sadness upon realizing he was about to leave them all behind. Orphan or not, the whole town of Rosewood had been his family for so long now, it was strange to be leaving them behind. Stranger still that his leaving was due to the circumstances around it. But it had to be done, and they could wait no longer than they already had. If they failed, there would be no Rosewood, no home at all to return to, and that was something he wouldn't allow to happen.

 

It was with that thought in mind that he turned to help assist Emily in getting into her saddle upon Titan. The large stallion and Epona both were now shouldering a fair share of supplies, and Emily had already strapped his old slingshot into the small carrier Malon had crafted for her to attach to her belt. With her steady in the saddle, he'd moved to Epona's side, brushing his hand through her miss-matched mane before hefting himself up to right himself within the decorative saddle Malon had placed upon her back.

 

Looking down to his old friend now, he smiled warmly as he accepted the bow she'd handed out for him to take. “Malon,” he began as he strapped it in place to the holster mounted to the front side of the saddle. He'd already had his sword, and shield, taking up space at his back. As for his quiver of arrows, he'd opted to keep them held to his hip as he had the first time he'd attempted to practice. “Try not to worry. We'll return safely, I know it.”

 

“See that you do,” she replied, keeping her voice even despite the show of worry in her eyes. “In the meantime,” she added, gesturing to a woman who had made her way through the crowd and past the gates to approach. “I have a new farm-hand to show around. Link, this is Milly, she will be residing in your tree-house while you're off – adventuring.”

 

Taking in the features of the woman who had stopped to stand beside Malon, Link had near sucked in a deep breath upon noticing her eyes. Bright blue, hopeful, calming, and with a hint of something that he could not place. Her chestnut hair was done up in a messy bun atop her head, and her clothes were indeed that of a shepherd used to tending to sheep. “Milly,” he repeated, finding it almost odd for a moment before he shook his head. “I hope the tree-house suits you well.”

 

Malon had arched a brow, though thankfully had kept whatever snarky comment she'd had in mind from flying out of her mouth. “I'm sure it will,” she said instead, glancing over to Emily who'd only shrugged as she tried to get a better view of the woman without blatantly riding forward just to stare at her.

 

“I'm certain it will suit me just fine,” Milly replied kindly, her smile not fading. “Thank you for allowing me to use it while you are away.”

 

“Not a problem,” he replied without even thinking about it.

 

Snorting, Malon shook her head. “Right,” she said. “I should have hired you sooner, Milly. Perhaps it would have kept the gaping fool from thinking to ride off into the sunset for whatever reason it is exactly that he's chosen to do so.”

 

Milly laughed, Link blushed and immediately looked away, and Emily had just quirked a brow at the red head – still unable to see the full visage of the woman who'd apparently managed to enrapture her companion so thoroughly from her vantage point.

 

“Yes. Thank you ever so much for that, Malon,” Link said tightly, though not without allowing his frown to turn into a small sad smile. He would miss her, even if she liked to prod his nerves. “I'll be leaving now.”

 

“If anything bad happens to that horse I'll throttle you into next year,” Malon shouted as he'd already begun to ride off. “I mean it Link! No funny business!”

 

Emily had moved Titan to follow after him, still curiously trying to see the woman he'd been so intently staring at, only for her back to be turned as Malon had sent her off towards the house. “Goodbye Malon,” she called instead, as the opportunity had passed her by. “I'll try and see to it he doesn't get cleaved in two.”

 

“Good,” Malon said with a nod. “Men have no common sense, after all. Keep him grounded, as best you can, anyway. Stay safe!”

 

With a nod of her head, Emily ushered Titan along to join Link as he'd lead the way out. She was smiling as she watched him riding in front of her. Malon had managed to pull more than a few favors around the town by spreading word of his departure. The green tunic she had once pretended to of seen, and even pretended to of worn, was now upon him. With an addition of a light chain-mail shirt beneath, the white leggings, and a new pair of boots, he looked – Just as she'd always thought he would. He'd even, albeit begrudgingly, put on the pointed little hat Malon had made for him as well. Though, she had to wonder how begrudging that process would have been were it not for Malon's teasing of him in saying that with it he now looked every bit the grasshopper she'd once called him. Still, it was nice to see it, comforting even, and as they rode on – She felt a small bit of hope rise within her chest that all of this would somehow come together.

 

Waiting for them to pass what was left of the crowd as he'd lead the way, she clicked her tongue to have Titan move closer – Riding beside him now along the road leading out of the small hamlet of Rosewood. “How far do we have to travel?” She asked, curious as he'd yet to tell her.

 

“Well,” he began, looking out towards the road ahead as he kept Epona in a casual trot. “About two weeks across the great plains. We do need to account for rest time, and we need to continue to practice on our way there as well. There's no real telling what the state of Kakariko is right now, least of all what's been going on within Death Mountain.”

 

She nodded, looking towards the sky. “Hopefully the village isn't in dire straights. But it's possible. The goron's hold the key to their trade market there, correct?”

 

“It's the main market for bombs, and a few other items they create within their kingdom. With the mountain looking sick as it does, it's unlikely they've kept trade open,” he agreed. “Of course with Castle Town being overrun, their secondary source of trade has also been abandoned. Most of their bombs and heavier explosives get sent there if it's not to be sold in the markets of Kakariko.”

 

She'd made uneasy noise at that. “Great, so Ganondorf has the castle, as well as a surplus of explosives taken from the guards.”

 

With a grunt he nodded. “That is the long and short of it, yes. Probably wasn't the best idea to have all of that stashed away. Though, from what I hear, most of the townspeople only escaped due to the guards using what they could to blow a sizable hole in the side of the main walls to give them direct passage outside of the town.”

 

“How many soldiers made it out?” She asked, tone gone grim as she anticipated his answer.

 

“Not many,” he replied, looking over to her from the corner of his eye to see she'd cast her gaze to the back of Titan's head. “It looks grim, I know. But it was expected that they would fight on to buy Zelda the time she needed to escape. If nothing else, they died protecting their land. When we're done, we will see to it those death's were not in vain.”

 

“I suppose you're right,” she said quietly.

 

Silence drifted between them then, the last remaining houses of Rosewood soon at their back as they followed along the road – turning off towards the great plains of Hyrule.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

They'd had a few strokes of luck on their journey. Four days into their ride, they had managed well so far in camping near small streams. The weather had been good, no storm clouds overhead to pelt them with rain, and Link had continued to hone his skills with his bow – Hunting down rabbits for fresher meals at their campsites other than the dried rations of meat Malon had packed for them. In truth, Emily had found amusement as well in giving Link some of the snacks she'd had stashed away in her saddlebags. Foods from her world, it seemed, had obtained quite the following. For it was not just the skull kids of the forest that had eaten them with wide eyes of appreciation. Link had near made himself sick trying to eat through an entire box of twinklings. The snack cakes, stuffed to the brim with frosted cream, had him bouncing in his seat at the fireplace in a show of what had to of been his most hyperactive moment in his entire life.

 

She'd laughed as he'd begun to regale her with tales of his many battles of will with Cojiro, and he'd turned thoughtful when she'd told him that the bird too had a history of his own. He'd smiled slightly at that, expressing some remorse for agitating the old cucco. Still, he'd pressed on requesting for her to tell him tales of the hero's that came before him. So she'd done so, slowly finding herself in the role her grandfather had once played for her as a dutiful storyteller. It had been difficult at first, but seeing his smile when she'd get to the good parts, the times when the hero would pull through and prove his title well earned – She could tell it was giving him faith that their task was only as daunting as they allowed it to be. His resolve was growing, and when she'd see him practice, he'd done so with a far more focused look upon his face than ever before.

 

Perhaps that had been part of her job here? To help guide him along, and not just in telling him what she knew of monsters, or history. But in helping him hold to the courage he was meant to wield? Even if it wasn't, she was glad to see him finding his own driving force. Now, she only needed to find her own courage, and maybe then she would start to feel less heavy? She supposed that was his job then, to give her what she lacked. Even still, if it were, she couldn't help but be terrified of it all. Of what all of this meant in the grand scheme of things. Of what failure would mean. Of what the Gerudo King would force her to write within the pages of the book if she could not keep it and herself from his clutches. She didn't want to focus on that anymore than she already had, but it was difficult to not think of it when things grew quiet on their ride throughout the day.

 

On the night of the tenth day, however, things became – weirder. More so than they already were for her. She'd laid down, ready for sleep to take her, falling into it eagerly as the long stretch of traveling was taking some getting used to. Her dreams that night were vivid beyond anything she'd ever had before, and yet hazy and confusing as well. Short of the one she'd had of Zelda, in fact, it had been the only time in which she felt like she was truly there. Seeing, smelling, feeling, everything around her as if it had been happening at that precise moment.

 

The thunderous beat of hooves, the jostling moment of riding at top speed upon Titan's back. A flash of black, gray, red, and white, and hands reaching for the reigns of her horse from behind her. A symbol, vaguely familiar held to the back of the owner of those hands. The sound of tromping footfalls, the screams and shouts reminiscent of the snorting of pigs, the clang of iron and steel, the scent of smoke overwhelming her and the feeling of being tossed to the ground. She saw the snout hovering over her, could smell the putrid breath huffing out into her face, another blur of colors – Green, and shouts from what had to of been Link. The world spun, her body feeling jolted, shaken, all until her eyes opened to find Link hovering over her with a pensive pull of his brows.

 

When he'd asked her why she'd been screaming out in her sleep, she could barely answer him. The blurred images were raw, and while some of it had made sense, the rest of it had been hard to fully decipher. Moblins, at least that much she knew was correct, and with the word slipping past her lips Link had quickly decided it was best they try to move faster still towards Kakariko. It had only been a few hours into their abrupt journey continuing before the sun had fully risen that she realized she had a vision of what was to come. Said realization had her nervously looking out across the plains around them, unsure of when it would come to pass, and scared of how it would end as she'd not seen all clearly.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

On the twelfth day, riding now through the lowlands of Hyrule, seeing scattered trees that had sprouted up near a small stream, the pair took their chances in stopping for a break. The sun had been against them, scorching down on their heads, and ruefully Emily had mentally chided herself for forgetting her sunblock as her arms, chest, and face, had all burned. Link, tan from his work on the farm had laughed at her for the briefest of moments, tutting softly at the sour look he'd received.

 

“Oh come now,” he said, kindly but with a lit of playfulness to the smirk at his lips that told her she was about to frown further. “No one likes a sour tomato.”

 

“Shut up,” she grumbled, almost laughing were it not for the fact that her entire upper body felt like she'd been sleeping over a fire pit on a roast-spit. “I really should have just left my riding jacket on.”

 

“Perhaps,” he replied, finally allowing his teasing to come to a close. “But with how hot it has been I can't see why you would wear it at all. The leather is tough, but too tight. There's no room to breathe.”

 

“Yes, yes,” she mumbled, waving her hand dismissively in his direction as she wandered towards the stream to refill her water-skin. “I'm sure there's an additional lecture in there somewhere regarding my 'tunic' as well.” After all, she'd heard a few muttered comments here and there from him as they'd rode on over the last few days. Especially once she'd taken her riding jacket off. “And it's not a tunic,” she added. “It's a tank top. It's supposed to be worn when the weather is hot.”

 

He'd averted his eyes, a small blush pinking the tips of his pointed ears as she'd just muttered out 'screw it' and tossed a handful of water up over her head with a relieved sigh.

 

“It's still unladylike,” he replied quietly.

 

Scoffing she shook her head. “It's normal where I'm – sort of from, I suppose.” Letting out a sigh, she finished filling her water-skin and moved to sit beside him while Epona and Titan munched on the tall grass. “I'm not sure what to think of when it comes to Hyrule. It's supposed to be my peoples homeland, but it doesn't feel like home to me.”

 

He hummed softly at that. “Perhaps it will once this quest is through? Or do you intend to return to the world you know?”

 

“I've no idea,” she answered. “I have my grandfather's estate there. Our family home. If I can ever will myself to go into his study -” She stopped for a moment, swallowing down the knot in her throat and shaking her head. “I never knew he had so many secrets. He – he died in that room. Protecting a mirror, protecting me. I'm sure there's probably a lot of things in there I could learn from. But, I don't think I could bring myself to go in there alone, and if I do return that's exactly what I will be.”

 

Silence stretched between them then, not uncomfortable, but there only to be broken from time to time by the spry sounds of crickets chirping in the grass. A breeze went through the air, ruffling her hair and granting them both a much needed break from the heat of the day before it passed leaving them to sit in the sparse shade of a small tree. After a few more minutes, Link reached into the padded pouch Malon had made for him; pulling out the ocarina to look at the small etched symbol of the Triforce upon it's lipped mouth piece. Holding it up, and bringing it to his lips, he started messing around with the notes, earning a small chuckle from Emily as she'd turned to watch him in his attempt to play on it.

 

“You've never used one before,” she observed, flinching slightly as he let out a loudly pitched note. “Obviously. You do know what that is, don't you?”

 

He paused, moving the small instrument from his lips and letting out a sigh. “The ocarina of legend?”

 

“The Ocarina of Time,” she corrected. “Or at least, since Zelda gifted it to you, I think it is. If I knew how to play I could teach you some of the songs it was once used for to open the old temples. But even if I did I don't know if they'd work here and now this time around.”

 

“You know the songs?” He asked, instantly curious.

 

“I can remember most of them,” she replied softly, looking away again to watch the horses. “My grandfather would hum the tunes when they would come up each time he would tell me the old stories. There were a lot of them. Some opened the doors to the temples, and were capable even of transferring the hero from one location to another in the blink of an eye. A few were meant for other things though. Like calling Epona to his side, or speaking to an old friend from the forest.”

 

“Epona?” That had certainly caught his attention more than anything else. Well, the odd magical transfer from one location to another was a big deal, but if the songs were different now he supposed it didn't matter until he'd begun to learn new ones.

 

She nodded. “Epona's song. She's apparently reborn quite like you are, as is Malon. Though, I suppose she, like Kotake and Koume, is a little different from her predecessors. But, then again, that Malon still called the old hero grasshopper,” she added with a laugh.

 

“How did it go?” He'd smiled as she licked her lips, humming slightly before shaking her head and opting to try again. After a few moments a tune could be made out from her various hums, and when she'd finished he tested each of the notes on the little ocarina in his hands.

 

Epona had lifted her head up from the grass, looking over his way with a twitch to her ears. They'd go back as if flinching from the sound when he'd make a poor miscalculation with the notes he'd play, and they'd twitch forward curiously when he'd managed to strike the right one. A few minutes ticked by further as he continued to try and play the song, looking a little frustrated but still patiently playing away until he'd believed he'd gotten the notes correctly. Looking up to the large claymore, he started again, a little slowly as his fingers still fumbled slightly in keeping up with holding to their correct positions – But soon, she'd slowly made her way over to him to whinny softly and nod her head at the tune he was playing.

 

Beside him, Emily laughed, pointing to Titan who also seemed to like the song as he too had approached their shady spot beneath the tree to observe Link as he played. It was a moment of peace, lighthearted, and ending with both laughing as the horses gave Link various sounds of approval to his newly acquired musical talent. A moment, that was soon broken by the loud booming echo of war horns sounding out in the distance.


	12. The Chase. The Capture. The Rescue?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the run from the moblins in Hyrule Field, Link tests his metal when it comes to fighting on horseback. Emily winds up with a surprise she didn't want, and the two of them end up in a situation they certainly didn't need.

Link had immediately pocketed his ocarina in the pouch at his hip, snatching Emily up by her arm to pull her to her feet as he hurriedly demanded that she put on her riding jacket again. There wasn't anymore time save for what it took to help her into her saddle, and to get into his own upon Epona before the sound of the horns was so close they could near smell the riders who used them on the breeze. The warbled shouts of the moblin scouts was already echoing from behind them in sneering taunts that had Emily not daring to look behind her. Instead she took to Titan's reigns pushing her heels into his sides and belting out the order to follow after Link. He'd set off on Epona at breakneck speed, and was pleased to see that while large in size the black stallion Emily rode upon was indeed quick enough to keep up with his mare.

 

Still, speed or not, they were being caught up to. The large thundering war-hogs on which the moblins rode were far quicker than their hefty gait would lead one to believe. With the miniature scouts upon their backs, one leading the animals in their continued charge, while the secondary riders would fire off arrows or brandish a blade; they'd had no trouble in catching up to the two. Link shouted the command for Epona to run on, releasing her reigns to twist in his seat as he pulled his bow free from the leather holster that secured it to her saddle. Taking an arrow from his quiver, he tried to remember Malon's words regarding moving targets, but opted instead to simply go for it to gauge the best route to take as she'd had no offer of advice for a scenario quite like this one. Shouting for Emily to duck in her saddle, he took aim at the nearest moblin rider who had approached the Seers horse.

 

The arrow he'd let lose had flown over the moblins head, leaving the small monster to cackle at his failed attempt. With the up and down bouncing the creature did in his seat upon the giant war-hog it was no wonder he had missed. But at the very least it had gotten the rider's attention as it changed tactics to come around from the other side in an attempt to allow its second a chance to swipe at him with it's blade.

 

“Emily!” Link shouted, quickly placing his bow back to it's holster so he could reach for his sword to block the swing aimed at his side. “Follow the road as fast as you can towards the crossroads, ride on! Don't stop!”

 

Swinging his blade, sending the moblins own flying from it's spindly hands, he kicked his foot out into the creatures face with a snarl at his lips. From the corner of his eye he caught sight of the large stallion being pushed onward as he'd ordered her to do, and for a brief moment he'd felt relief that she had not chosen to argue the matter in the middle of all of this. While it was true he could not risk fully losing sight of her, he also could not risk her being taken by the fiends that had begun to surround them, and with the sneer being sent his way from the yellow teeth of the war-hogs rider – He knew they intended to try for that very goal. Veering off to avoid a swing from his sword, he growled out his own frustration as he looked behind him to see four others were descending upon him to join with the first.

 

Down one scout, the first had turned around to gather a new one from the group closing in only to turn back, kicking up rocks and dirt as the war-hog continued it's pursuit with the rest of their party. As for Link he shouted for Epona to pick up speed again, switching out his sword in exchange for his bow if only to try again at shooting a few of them free of their mounts. He knew if there was this one group out in the wilderness chances were there would be more, and if they were being lead towards others they would not make it to Kakariko from his efforts alone.

 

Holding up his bow, he took in a deep steadying breath, keeping it in his chest as he pulled back the arrow knocked to it's string. His mind focused on the up and down motions he made as Epona traveled on, eyes zeroing in on his target waiting for their movements to sync up to his own, and the moment it had he released the arrow and his breath all once. The arrow sailed through the air, hitting it's mark in the shoulder with near enough force to send the creature falling from it's mount with an ear piercing shriek. Another arrow was drawn back, taking the time to be patient despite the fact that time was not on their side, and releasing it only when he knew it would hit at least something. That time, he'd caught a scout between it's wrinkled brows, killing it instantly as it's blood splattered over the war-hogs back leaving it's rider scrambling to withdraw from the others in their pursuit.

 

He knew it was intending to fall back and call out for the aid of others in the area, the horn was already being lifted to it's flattened gray lips before his arrow had flown through the air. He'd pierced the horn, and the arrow had gone straight through, lodging itself into the throat of the moblin who tumbled off of it's war-hogs back leaving the creature to stumble about aimlessly without a rider to control it. With one down, and four more to go, he turned forward in his saddle seeing Emily still ahead as Epona charged onward following the Seers lead. They were nearing the crossroads, and he'd shouted out at her to take the left beaten path. Hopeful she'd heard him, but doubtful as the sounds of hooves echoed all around them, he knew he had to hurry so he could catch up to her.

 

Bow was replaced again, the motion frustrating as he'd near dropped it in his ride. His shield and sword had come up this time, both blocking attacks from either side of himself as he tried to hold steady within Epona's saddle. With arrows bouncing off the metal of his shield, his sword parrying the swiped attacks of another moblin to his right, he screamed out as he tightened his legs hold to Epona, dipping to his right to slice off the head of the moblin rider leaving it's scout to fend for itself in taming the beast it now rode upon. With another swift pull of his own weight, he quickly turned up and over to his left to slam his shield into the bow of the other, bringing his sword home with a thrust into it's unarmored belly. The move had worked, if not narrowly in it's execution. But it had also sent his stomach reeling as the stench of the moblin blood that clung to his blade was more foul than that of their unwashed bodies alone.

 

He'd sheathed his blade to his back, instantly moving to cling to his saddle as the moblin rider who was quite displeased with the loss of it's scout had attempted to veer his war-hog into Epona's side in effort to throw him from her back. Smacking into it's face with his shield, just as he had it's scout, he'd heard a sickening crunch followed by a squealed howl of pain. Looking over the edge of the shield in his hand he'd near laughed at the little beast who'd halfway fallen off of it's mount to be dragged underneath it's thunderous hooves; only to be flattened with a bone shattering array of snaps and further howls. Three down, two to go.

 

Looking ahead, attempting to keep an eye on Emily, his eyes widened as she'd neared the over cropping of trees that sat above the crossroads. Someone had jumped down to land upon her saddle behind her, taking the reigns from her and leaving her to scream out in terror. The two left would have to wait, and the moment the thought passed through his mind his shield was in place at his back as his hands cracked the reigns with a shout for Epona to continue onward. Despite the whinny of disapproval from the mare, it seemed she recognized easily enough the possible danger that was ahead of them. Her stride pushed further, nostrils flaring, and hooves beating down upon the earth to kick torn bits of grass and dirt up into the faces of the remaining two pursuers. He'd caught up, close enough now he could see the one who had taken it upon himself to join Emily upon Titan.

 

The stallion itself was just as displeased as Epona had been, veering wildly out of control as Emily screamed and shouted at the man to get away from her. She'd twisted herself in her saddle, reaching over to smack at the man's head wrapped in white cloth, hitting at him as he cracked Titan's reigns in an attempt to keep the horse going. Drawing ever closer he saw the symbol upon the man's back, red, and stark in contrast to the black of his overall leather-made attire; it sent a chill down his spine as it plucked at old stories he'd heard of a war long before the year of his birth. He'd no idea there were any who still existed, yet if this man was one of them he feared ever more for Emily's safety.

 

As soon as he drew close enough he'd unsheathed his blade, rising up in his saddle to prepare for an attack only for sparks to fly as the Master Sword was met with the grass-cutter blade of the man currently holding the Seer hostage upon her horse. Red eyes peered down at him from beneath golden hair, the white wrap over his head being jostled as Emily swatted at him again. With one swift, fluid motion of his blade, her attacker had sent his sword off course as Titan, still attempting to rid himself of his newest rider, steered to the right again.

 

“Titan!” Emily's voice rose, her hands no longer swatting at the man but holding firmly to the hilt of her saddle, leaving Link only a split second to guess what it was she was about to do. “Stop!!”

 

The horse did as it's master commanded, and the man who'd joined her in her saddle had been forcibly jolted off as Titan's hindquarters lifted momentarily up and off the ground. But even with such an abrupt halt as that, the man did not land upon his back in the middle of the road. His body had turned, twisting itself expertly to right himself before he'd landed with a fluid sort of grace a few feet ahead of the large dust cloud that had kicked up around Emily and Titan as the stallion had stopped. His blade was still drawn, and as Link slowed Epona to ride up beside Emily, to try and ensure she was alright – He'd heard it all too late, seeing red eyes widen, just before the two moblin scouts had made their approach, knocking both him and the Seer out of their saddles.

 

Epona and Titan had both taken off, the war-hogs threatening them with their horned snouts. Emily was groaning on the ground in front of him, an arms length away. The man had rushed into the thick of things, his blade working swiftly to battle off the moblins, only for the sounds of horns to blare out further in the area. Link struggled to his feet, sword still at the ready as he moved in front of her trying to block the attack from the moblins that had all flew out of the thickets of bushes along the road. And as he heard Emily scream out, he turned to look over his shoulder only to see her being hoisted into the air by a moblin-warrior.

 

He'd closed his eyes hearing the words of the beast, shaking her to and fro as if she were no more than a toy doll. Releasing a breath he'd barely even been aware he had been holding in, he too released his sword to let it clatter to the ground at his feet. With his hands up to brace behind his head, the last thing Link saw before the world went black, was the other man being kicked to the ground and bound with rope.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Smoke filled the air and billowed out in clouds of black overhead. Emily's eyes fluttered open as she looked up to the thinly boarded ceiling above her seeing the smoke spiral off towards the heavens. Groaning softly as she moved, her hands slid within muddied earth as she tried to sit herself upright. She'd wound up passing out due to the sheer terror of the experience of being hauled around by the massive moblin-warrior. His breath truly had been as monstrous as his own form was, and as she blinked, attempting to look around herself, she sighed in relief upon seeing the green tunic of her companion rising and falling softly as he still breathed in his unconscious state.

 

Above her she could hear the grunted conversation of their captors, words she didn't understand but it hardly mattered when she knew just whom they worked for. They'd been captured, of course, because of – She paused her thoughts then, eyes roaming around the small cage that had been dug up for them to reside in only to land on the narrowed red eyes of the idiot who'd scared her half to death.

 

“This is your fault,” she accused tightly, uncaring of the matter of who he was least of all where he'd come from or why. Had he not terrified the daylights out of her they could have managed to escape.

 

Well, maybe.

 

She still wasn't entirely clear on that, not that it mattered much now.

 

Hearing him move through the mud, her eyes scanned over him wearily, still unsure just who he was, or what he had wanted from her when he'd attempted to take control of Titan. As he'd shifted further light dimly illuminated his form in the muddied pit that was their prison, and she'd almost choked on her words from moments before. He looked just as her grandfather had described the incognito Princess from the Ocarina of Time. Only, different. The symbol upon his chest, while still red, did not hold the tear to it as Zelda's had. His clothes in fact, were of an entirely different color scheme save for the white wrappings over his head. Black, and brown now thanks to the mud, but mostly just black and a dark weathered gray. Those eyes though? They were crimson, like rubies shining out behind golden bangs that hung low. The rest of his face remained hidden as well, his head wrap coming around to cover his mouth and jaw while he continued to glare at her for her words.

 

“Oh please don't tell me you're the Princess in disguise,” she muttered, bringing her knees up to lean her head against them as she groaned. “I really don't need to be telling her off right now. I've got enough problems as it is already.”

 

“I beg your pardon?” The grated reply came from him, making her turn her head to look back over his way curiously. “You think me to be a woman? The Princess even?”

 

She simply shrugged. “Sheik, right?”

 

His eyes had widened for a fraction of a second, narrowing once more as he slowly nodded. “That is my rank, my title, yes. But I am no woman, nor am I the Princess.”

 

Considering how darkly he'd uttered that, she was inclined to take his word for it. “Then I stand by my original statement,” she replied cheerily before narrowing her eyes back at him. “This is entirely your fault.”

 

“How is _you_ stopping _your horse_ in the middle of a race to escape _your pursuers_ – My fault?” He'd growled out his words again.

 

“Because _you_ scared the hell out of me,” she snapped back. “Jerk,” she added with a huff.

 

He'd scoffed, a sort of 'chh' sound that was accompanied by a roll of his eyes. “Had you of given me the chance to tell you who I was before attempting to swat at me like a fly, or scream for your horse to stop – You would have known I had come to help you. Our current state of duress is no ones doing but your own, _Seer_.”

 

“Our current state of duress is the fault of the idiot who decided dropping down from above me in the middle of me riding for my life was the best way to introduce himself,” she snarled back at him, picking up a clump of mud to sling at him.

 

She missed but it was the thought behind it that counted. Right then and there she wasn't in the mood to play nice with the guy.

 

“Fantastic,” he replied dryly. “Hyrule's only hope, and it comes in the form of a childish -”

 

“Her point is valid, _Sheikah_ ,” Link's voice rose as he had awoken to their squabbling voices. Sitting up with a groan that mirrored Emily's own earlier, he glared at the other male. “If you wished to be of any help, that was hardly the time to offer it. Not in the way you chose to.”

 

For a moment, Emily wondered if this Sheik would respond. But instead he'd only hitched up a knee to lean against as he looked up towards the wooden slats that kept them locked away beneath the ground. Meanwhile, Link had scoffed at his indifference, rising unsteadily to his feet to try and look for a means of escape.

 

“There is no point,” Sheik commented lowly. “Our weapons have been taken, and we have been buried deep below ground. The walls are too slick to climb, and we are surrounded by their main encampment. The only way out will come when they believe it is time to move on. At which point, they will drop gas bombs into our pit, wait for us to pass out, and then retrieve us to bind us for departure.”

 

Rolling his neck, the popping sound that followed had Link sighing out in annoyance. “Of course,” he grumbled, sliding down the slicked wall of mud to sit down once again. “Emily, are you alright?”

 

“I'm filthy,” she replied. “But I think apart from being scared into a state of unconsciousness I'm quite alright.” Her response had earned a half-amused chuckle from Link. “Link?” He hummed in answer, waiting for her to say whatever it was she intended to. “Sheik's actually a guy.”

 

Seeing the Sheikah bristle at the comment, he laughed.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Hours had droned on as they'd sat within their muddied hole in the ground. At one point some of the moblins had moved two of the slats overhead to drop down rotting vegetables and moldy bread before snickering and closing off the slats again. None of the occupants of the filthy cell had opted to enjoy such a meal, it smelled just as bad as the moblins had, and Emily had even gone as far as to dig another small hole to put the food into before covering it up again with a curled lip of disgust. Link had laughed lightly at her, but Sheik had remained silent, eyes following her movements around their cell until being met with the cold blue hue of the hero. They'd stared at one another for a while, and once Emily had noticed she'd rolled her eyes at the both of them.

 

A few more hours went by, the sun beginning to set, and as they'd not heard the sounds of the moblins gathering their mounts to begin the process of moving out they had figured that perhaps it was best to simply get some sleep while the option was their own to make. A few moments, however, after laying down in their uncomfortable muck of accommodations, they heard the sounds of moblin scouts shouting out frantically. Snapping pops followed soon after, and what Emily could swear was the giggling of skull kids rang out over head.

 

“The skull kids,” she murmured softly, sitting up fully to look towards the wooden slats over head. “Why are they here?”

 

“Skull kids?” Link questioned, face likely twisted in worry were she able to see it in the darkness of their hole in the ground.

 

“They're throwing deku nuts like you did at that stalfos,” she replied, still looking to the slats, and not sounding remotely worried.

 

“Emily,” Link said slowly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I didn't throw a deku nut, I had my eyes closed and was fighting off the urge to become unconscious after being tossed into a tree.”

 

While he too could not see her expression, her eyes had gone wide with the kind of understanding that comes from a sudden realization; and he could hear the excitement in her voice as she spoke up again. “That was Pan,” she said. “It had to of been!”

 

“Pan?” The question had been voiced simultaneously by both men, likely gaping at her in the dark.

 

“The skull kid who rescued me from the forest,” she clarified, before turning her head in Link's general direction. “Or, at least he helped me before you had, anyway.” Before he could reply, she laughed. “I wonder why they're all the way out here.”

 

“If what you say is true, then they are probably stalking you,” Sheik answered, disapproval clear in his tone. “Skull kids do not make friends with any adult whom enters their forest. They -”

 

More cracking noises sounded from above. The giggling growing stronger for only a moment before it was drowned out by the snarls of moblin-warrior's.

 

“No,” Emily said, shaking her head. “Pan saved my life. The forest was rotting, the soil was going black, and it moved as if it were chasing after us. We're it not for him telling me where to go, I wouldn't have made it out to where Link found me at all. He -”

 

“They also do not have names,” Sheik said blandly. “They are accursed children, and you have likely succeeded in little more than cursing yourself by obtaining their interest.”

 

“Is that so?” She replied, tone starting out sweet before turning into a hiss of irritation being directed further at him. “Well, in a moment, perhaps I shall curse you as well.”

 

“The Sheikah is right -” Link begrudgingly began, only to be stopped when Emily tugged on his arm.

 

“Did they take your pouches?” She asked. “Link, did the moblins take your pouches?”

 

“I -” Confused as to why that was suddenly relevant, he swept his hands over his hips feeling about to find the pouches at his belt were still present.

 

“The ocarina?” She pressed, sounding excited now, and confusing her two fellow inmates even further. “Is it still there?”

 

Pulling it from his pocket, he sighed. “Yes, but I don't see -”

 

“The song,” she said brightly. “I remember now. I couldn't place it before, but I knew it was familiar. It was Saria's song. Pan played it while he lead me towards the outskirts of the forest. It – I think he used it to stop the wolfos from catching us when we'd had to run.”

 

“Wolfos?” Link asked, even more confused now than he had been the moment this conversation had begun. “When did you run into a pack of wolfos?”

 

“When he was leading Titan and I to the outskirts,” she reiterated. “Look I know it sounds crazy, but if it is Pan up there – If you play the song he'll know where to find us.”

 

“You actually want an accursed child to seek us out?” Sheik asked, incredulously if she had to guess. “You are aware of course, that the lost children of the forest hate adults? They attack on sight, or they simply opt to level their target with the curse of becoming a stalfos. All this plan of yours could really end up doing is leaving the three of us in a far worse position than we are already in.”

 

“No, it wont!” She yelled that time, silencing him with her own vehemence on the topic. “Link you have to play the song. Pan helped us again. The stalfos - he stunned it. If it wasn't you then it had to of been him. Please? Trust me on this.”

 

Swallowing down his own trepidation at the idea of what she was asking of him, Link cleared his throat. “Very well,” he said, ignoring the groan of the Sheikah in the corner. “How does it go?”

 

Once more they found themselves having a game of her teaching him a song, while his fingers fumbled in the dark to find the right notes. After his earlier tries with playing Epona's song, Link was quicker to catch on save for a few notes that still sounded off. Grunting in irritation with himself, he tried again, playing it out fully to receive an agreeing laugh from Emily. He played it out in full then. The notes coming out stronger, louder now than they were before. Above them they heard the snapping return, the moblin-warrior's growling out and shouting for their scouts to get rid of the pests.

 

“Play it again,” Emily said firmly, eyes still looking towards the wood overhead. “Link, I'm serious. Play it again. It has to be him!”

 

He did as he was asked, expression worried as he too now looked overhead. Watching for the slightest hint of movement, and twisting his brows into a slight show of surprise as the sounds of crashing and banging now began to rise, accompanied by the outright screams from the moblin scouts. Torchlight came into view overhead, bright and near blinding as the wooden slats had been moved. The silhouette of a straw hat on a rounded head came into view, tilting this way and that with the ruffling noise of dried grass, and the chime of what sounded like bells.

 

“Big sister?” Came the query from above.

 

Emily breathed out a sigh of relief, ignoring the looks of shock from her caged companions while smiling at the little imp perched above them. “Pan...”

 

A large cooking kettle had flown over the small skull kid's head, completely ignored as he brightly giggled down at the sight within the hole in the ground. “Big sister got lost again?” He asked, giggling further. “Not good. Need map!”

 

Emily laughed, earning raised brows from both Link and Sheik who continued to observe the entire exchange as if they were witnessing her grow six heads to begin spouting fire. “Not lost, taken,” she corrected politely. “My snacks were taken too,” she added, in what only seemed as afterthought to the two men staring on in silent shock. “Those monsters scared away Titan, and without him I have no treats to offer.”

 

He'd made a little sound of protest at her words. “Bad moblins scare away snacks?” He asked, sounding almost mad. “Locked away big sister in hole?”

 

“Yes!” She hastily agreed. “Very bad! Very mean! But if we can get out of here, I'm sure my friend can bring Titan back... With those snacks,” she'd drawn out that last part hopefully.

 

“Yes! Yes!” He'd jumped up and down. “Pan scare away big meanies! Have friends! Can help!”

 

He'd wound up putting the boards back in place as he'd left, and yet despite the darkness descending on them again Emily was laughing brightly. “I knew I was right,” she said proudly. “You both can thank me later.”

 

“Not to rain all over your picnic,” Link began, clearing his throat. “But, just how do you intend to get your stallion back here?”

 

“Epona's song,” she replied smoothly. “Chances are he ran off with her. If you use that song, it will call her back to you.”

 

“And call Titan back in turn as well,” Link surmised, a grin finally making it's way to his face as he chuckled. “I'd already forgotten you telling me how that song worked.”

 

“This entire plan is ridiculous,” Sheik said moving to sit back down against the muddied wall of their cell. “The skull kids will not -”

 

A loud crash and a chorus of angered snarls echoed out from above them, cutting off the Sheikah and leaving the young Seer gloating happily. “Yes,” she said firmly. “They will.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I got the action sequences here right. I'm also hopeful that the introduction of a certain someone here worked. Like the tag says, Sheik is his own person in this, which means he's not exactly what you might be expecting. Give it a chance though, as there is a lot more still to come with how the story plays out.


	13. Death Dealers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey meant for two turns into one meant for four. Kakariko is on the horizon, but what lies in wait for them isn't what they'd expect.

“Why does – Pan, call you big sister?” Link asked, looking over the small group of skull kids who were currently going through the calamity of what was left of the moblin camp.

 

Apart from the imp in question, the other two who were with him had been keen on keeping their distance from Link and Sheik. Far too fascinated with holding up their various finds to show one another and chatter happily, it was only Pan who would dart here and there in search of items that had belonged to Link and Emily. As for the camp itself, the entire place was about as wrecked as one could expect. Pot's and pan's that the moblins had for cooking meals were scattered everywhere. The tents they had built up for themselves to sleep in were knocked over, mostly broken down steaks of wood and torn fabric. The pens where they'd been keeping animals stolen from travelers around Hyrule had been opened, releasing goats and cucco's that had aided in the havoc the little imps had caused. A few had even stuck around, goats chewing over the tents, and the birds themselves appearing to convene near the edge of the camp where they'd launched a pecking attack at the last of the moblins in their retreat.

 

“Because I named him Pan,” she offered with a shrug.

 

That 'chh' noise returned. Sheik had immediately moved to find his weapons the moment he'd climbed free from the prison they'd been placed in, and as soon as he had them secured to his lower back he'd gone to lean against a tree out of the way of the imps and their rummaging. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his eyes were following their every movement as if believing they would turn on them soon. “You named it?”

 

“Yes,” she answered, not even bothering to hide her irritation at the continued tone he chose to use on the matter. “He helped me, and saved my life in the forest. So yes, I named him.” Seeing him simply stare at her she rolled her eyes. “Good grief, it's like talking to a rain cloud of misery.” With that said, she moved to accept Link's sword from Pan who had ran back over and held it up for her. As soon as she'd taken it, he'd scampered off again and she handed it off to Link. “They helped lead me out of there with Pan guiding us. They didn't try to hurt me, in fact Pan helped convince the others in the forest not to. Regardless, they didn't try to guide me off course, and they've done you no wrong.” Looking back towards Sheik, her eyes narrowed sharply. “Be kind, or get lost.”

 

Link had smiled widely from behind her, apparently pleased with the prospect of her telling him to leave. Though, the Sheikah knew well enough of why. He wasn't surprised to of heard the name of his people hissed out at him as if it too were just as cursed as the lives of the imps running around them to scavenge the spoils of their battle with the moblins. But while he wished to retort to the Seer's words, he knew it would not be wise. He had come here to offer his aid, not to argue with her.

 

“I shall endeavor to be more polite,” he conceded, withholding the sigh that would only prove just how much effort such words had truly taken for him to say. “You were correct, about this group at least. Though, we've yet to be met by the sight of your horses returning. Should you not be able to deliver on your promise of treats for them, it is still possible they will turn on us.”

 

She'd sighed then, looking over her shoulder only to quirk a brow as Link had been busy scowling at the Sheikah. “Link?” She asked, pulling him free from whatever thoughts were running through his head. “Can you try again?”

 

Nodding, he'd retrieved his ocarina, playing out the song fluidly as this time he remembered the notes fully and at least had some semblance of light from the torches to help aid him in finding the correct spots to place his fingers upon. The tune had played out loudly, catching the interest of the skull kids for a moment until they'd shrugged it off to continue hunting through the clutter. But apart from grabbing their attention there still was no sign of Epona or Titan.

 

“It is a good thing I found my blades before they could,” Sheik commented quietly, earning another scowl from the Seer.

 

Pan darted through the debris of the camp, lugging Emily's backpack that had fallen free from her saddle during the ambush with him as he stopped in front of her to hold it out for her to take. Lifting it up, she put it on her back, and smiled down at him. “Sorry, Pan,” she began. “But we're still waiting for -”

 

A soft nickering sound came from the bushes, and a moment later, Epona and Titan slowly stepped out into the small clearing of the trashed camp. Looking over to Sheik, sporting a grin that practically screamed 'I told you so', Emily laughed.

 

“I believe the snacks I owe you have arrived,” she said, making her way towards Titan as Epona moved around her to leisurely stand in front of Link. Digging through the saddlebags on Titan's back, Emily pulled out her last box of twinklings to hand to Pan.

 

To her surprise, he'd shaken his head. “Not for Pan,” he said, pointing at the others who'd instantly looked up from their work to eye the box of treats in her hand with wide half-starved stares. “Them.”

 

“You don't want any?” She asked, curious, and this time not paying attention to the fact that little heads were moving to follow the box in her hand as she'd shaken it to tempt their leader. “Are you certain?” He nodded. “Alright,” she replied slowly, looking to the other two, and holding out the box in her hand in offer for one of them to take it. “This time it's cakes.”

 

“You're giving them the last of your cakes?” Link asked, sounding near depressed at the very thought.

 

With another laugh, Emily nodded. “Yes. Considering the last time you ate them you nearly wound up puking everywhere from the sugar rush alone, I think it's best to keep you away from these.” Smiling at the little one who had come over to take the box, Emily handed it to him kindly and turned her gaze back to Pan who had remained where he stood looking up at her expectantly. “What is it?”

 

“Pan want's to go with big sister,” he replied.

 

Were it not for the difference in attire, and clear difference in personality, Link and Sheik would appear as near twins in their obvious dislike of that statement. Both of them had turned their scowling gazes towards the small imp the moment the words had been spoken, and while Emily understood the relative reasoning behind why that had put both men off; the fact remained that she didn't fear the little one in the slightest.

 

“You want to go with me?” She asked, seeing him nod again, and this time hearing the distraught clicking and mutterings of the other two who now stared at him with wide yellow eyes. “Are you sure? We're going to be doing some rather dangerous traveling, Pan. It's not always going to be fun, and I don't have anymore snacks to offer you.”

 

His little shoulders had slumped for a moment. But as he looked over to the other two, turning his gaze back up to her, he nodded anyway. “Want to go! Want to help! Big sister needs lots of it. Pan helpful. Knows things. Like forest!”

 

Sending a curious look towards Link, seeing his narrowed gaze faltering as he likely considered the same thing she had upon being reminded of the forest in which he resided in – Emily avoided bothering to look to Sheik, instead, she nodded her head at Pan. “Very well,” she replied, further ignoring Sheik's scoff sounding out at her for agreeing to that at all. “You can come with us.”

 

Giggling brightly, he jumped up and down on the balls of his booted feet. “Pan help! Send others to forest to keep other skull kids away from bad magic! Heard moblins talking before we played tricks. Said boss wanted captives to stop them from fixing bad magic. You fix bad magic?”

 

“I -” Well, technically that was the goal, so she couldn't exactly deny that was what she was meant to help do. Thing was she still didn't know how they were going to do as much. At least not until they finally got where they were going, and got their hands on the book. “That's the goal, yes.”

 

Watching as he ran towards the other two, a near chirped conversation being had between all three of them that likely none but them could understand; Emily smiled as she felt Titan bump her shoulder with his nose, nickering softly as if in approval of her choice. Looking to Link who had found his shield as Epona nudged over a barrel, he'd offered her a grin as well, seeming to now understand what she'd meant when she'd said Pan was different. As for Sheik, he'd merely remained where he'd stood for but a moment, seeming to be thinking something over before he uncrossed his arms and approached her.

 

“And what of me?” He inquired.

 

“You?” She asked, canting her head to the side with a smirk at her lips. “That is easy enough. If you intend to follow along then - _You may walk._ ” Titan, it seemed, had also approved of that, following along behind her with another nicker as she'd moved past him to help the imps look for more things scattered about the ruined camp.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Link couldn't help but snigger at Sheik as he walked along behind Emily. She'd allowed the small imp to ride upon the back of her horse with her, and it seemed the stallion too favored the cursed child over the Sheikah. Titan had snorted at him in warning anytime he'd so much as came within a foot of the large stallion. Perhaps his amusement of it all was just him being childish, but truly he couldn't help but think of how funny it was that Malon had always told him that he was bad with speaking to women. If she were to ever meet Sheik, she'd quickly praise him for not being as bad as the sour, black-leather-clad, Sheikah happened to be.

 

“You may stop laughing anytime now,” Sheik called back to him, not even bothering to look in his direction. “I am fine with traveling as I am now.”

 

“Perhaps,” Link said as he'd brought Epona up to walk along side the dour man. “But it's still rightly hilarious.”

 

The echoing giggle of Pan had sounded out as he teetered his head to the left, bright eyes watching Sheik; unsurprisingly, due to Emily requesting him to do as much. “Punishment!” He laughed again. “Made big sister mad! Should not do again!” Pointing at him now, he'd inclined back against Emily's back, legs kicking out in further echoed laughter. “Walk, walk, walk! March, march, march! Silly adult!”

 

“Chh!” He'd scoffed again, Emily shaking her head the moment she'd heard it. His eyes had looked past the wide-brimmed hat of the imp to observe her. “I do not need to ride with her, nor any other. I am used to traveling alone, and used to traversing Hyrule without the aid of a horse as well. I am quite fine.”

 

“Tut, tut,” Emily called out, pulling the hood of her riding jacket up over her head. “It looks like rain.”

 

No sooner had she said it, that the trickling beginnings of a downpour began to fall from the sky overhead. Link had already reached for his cloak, stashed away within the saddlebag to his left. Sending Sheik a small apologetic look, as he actually did feel bad for him now, if only a little. So remembering some sense of his own manners drilled into him from years of hearing Malon badger him; he took out a spare cloak Malon had forced him to pack in case he'd lost the first, handing it to him before he rode on ahead to continue on along side the Seer. Putting it on, Sheik continued to follow, and the little imp continued to laugh.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

With one more day of riding on, or rather, walking as it were for one of them, and eventually they found themselves nearing the village of Kakariko. Despite the poor luck of being taken by the moblins, they had in turn been brought closer to their destination, and as they neared the main gates that lead into the village, Link had slowed them all down to dismount Epona. Looking ahead down the rocky pathway, he'd let out a shout that had both Emily and Sheik staring at him as if he'd lost his mind – Up until both spotted the rocks that hand tumbled down to land on the roadway in front of them.

 

“Loud sounds aren't exactly a good thing here,” he explained, looking over to Emily, and gesturing towards the boisterous little imp still perched behind her. “Anytime Malon and I made a delivery we had to be mindful not to make too much noise. The slightest things at times can set off a rock slide.”

 

Moving to stand on his tip-toes, Pan looked over Emily's shoulder to the stones that had fallen. “Quiet time now?” He asked.

 

She nodded. “Very quiet, Pan. No more laughter until we're free of the rocks and safe in the village, okay?”

 

Pan had seemed to shrink at her words, his hold to her shoulders tightening slightly. “Pan doesn't go in villages. They don't like to play.”

 

She'd blinked at that, as if finally remembering he wasn't exactly seen as a good omen by anyone within Hyrule. With a sigh, she looked to Link, unsure what to do for him so he could come along without being chased from the village, or worse, when they arrived.

 

Not entirely sure of an answer to give her beseeching look, Link's eyes scanned the rocks above once more. Pausing only when an idea finally came to him. They were headed to Kakariko yes, but they also had headed there intent on seeking out the goron's upon Death Mountain. “How skilled are you at sneaking?” He asked, turning to regard the wide yellow eyes that peered at him over Emily's shoulder.

 

“Good!” He replied merrily. “Can sneak into farm! Play for big blue cucco!”

 

“You play songs for Cojiro?” Link asked, instantly surprised to of learned that the skull kid currently traveling with them had been far closer to Rosewood than he'd ever actually imagined him to of ever been.

 

Pan nodded his head swiftly. “Like's songs! Makes other cucco's march!”

 

“Link,” Emily called. “It would be wise to make sure he's with us when we get to Death Mountain. From what I know, the goron's like that song of his, and unlike the villager's I don't think goron's in general have a fear of the skull kids. If they've closed off the gates it might help if he is present to play for them along side you. That song makes them happy, which considering the state of the mountain itself – We will probably want to make them as happy as possible before we try asking for permission to enter Death Mountain at all.”

 

“Goron's like forest song?” Pan asked.

 

“They like to dance to it,” she answered with a smile.

 

Immediately after his laughter had echoed out, and as more stones fell from the rocky cliff side towering above the road, his little hands had moved to cover his mouth while his eyes narrowed sadly. “Sorry,” he whispered between his fingers.

 

“Whether they like the song or not - We can not risk taking him into Kakariko,” Sheik said, looking to the rocks that had fallen with a glare. “Its too risky. People there are likely just as weary of strangers right now as the goron's will be. If they see him, there is no telling how fiercely they will respond, and not just to him.”

 

“True,” Link agreed with a frown, clearly showing his own dislike in doing as much at all. “But there is another way around,” he added, pointing to the rocky ledges above. Looking to Pan, he sent the little one a small smile. “Do you think you can manage that?”

 

Pan nodded his little head, jingling and shifting about his odd hat in the process. “Yes, yes, yes! Pan can do it! Light weight. No bother to horse. Climb trees all the time! Rock's no problem!” As if demonstrating his point he'd jumped enthusiastically upon Titan's hindquarters, the horse itself not even so much as twitching from the motion. “See? Pan too light. Won't make rocks slide down! Good for quiet sneaking when need be.”

 

Looking to Emily, and at least bothering to send a glance at Sheik, all three agreed with silent nods; and as such Pan leapt from the back of Titan to hop over the massive rocks. Not a single sound echoing in his wake.

 

“Well,” Emily said, watching as his little form disappeared above them. “That settles that for now at least. We should hurry though. We've been held back for too long, and I'm worried when we arrive things may be far worse than what we already know them to be.”

 

“Another dream?” Link asked, getting back into Epona's saddle.

 

She shook her head. “No. I just feel – Off. Like something very bad has happened, and not just to the mountain or the Goron's. But to Kakariko itself.”

 

“You've not yet honed your skill?” The question had both her and Link turning in their saddles to look to Sheik. His eyes were boring into her, scrutinizing her closely, and making her feel as if he were practically staring through her entirely. “You've no idea how to use your ability do you?”

 

“No,” she answered, her own eyes narrowing back at him. “What would you know of it?”

 

“More than you apparently do,” he replied, almost carefully even despite his wording on the matter. “Still, if you are feeling as you do now, it is likely that you are not wrong in your belief. We should hurry.”

 

He'd moved to brush past the two then, stalking forward only to stop as she'd called out to him.

 

“Sheik? What do you know of the Seers?” She asked, her own turn to scrutinize him being taken while Link silently observed them both.

 

“I know enough that I attempted to help steer you away from that ambush before you had me forcibly removed from the back of your steed,” he replied. “Without you, there is no hope of stopping the Gerudo King. As for your abilities, I know little of how they work in full. But enough of the abilities of others such as the Princess to say that you require training to focus your gift.” Looking over his shoulder at her, he'd quirked a brow that hid beneath the golden locks peaking out from beneath his head-wrap. “Now however, is not the time to discuss such matters.”

 

Looking to Link, and only receiving a shrug in turn, she nodded lightly. “Fair enough,” she said, eyes watching him now with a hint of curiosity. “Let's go, before we end up with something else chasing us down.”

 

Moving forward now, slowly and carefully as they did not want to cause a stir, Sheik took to the gate – gently opening it with barely a squeak being sounded out as he'd made certain Link and Emily had passed through before closing it behind them. Old and weathered stone towered over them, and the fact that it would crumble if disturbed too much was unsurprising the more Emily took the time to look at it all. It seemed almost as if the pathway that lead into Kakariko itself had been forcibly cut through, dug out to create the road they traveled on now. The further they went, the more she found herself worrying over the matter of being crushed by a random boulder dropping. A few slight trickles of pebbles would cast off with a trail of dust following in it's wake, and with each trickle her nerves would light up in warning as she steered Titan further away from the wall of stone. It was both beautiful in that she could see the sediment layers of the rock formations themselves, and terrifying in that the slightest loud noise could send any number of those rocks down upon them all.

 

An odd mixture, but as she caught sight of the first signs of the village ahead, it was one she had dismissed quickly when she'd realized how eerily quiet the entire town was.

 

Clearing the pathway carved in stone, the three of them were met with what may as well have been a ghost town. Shutters gently beat against the windows as a breeze blew through the area, dust swirled through the air, lowering only to kick back up again when hit with a new gust. There were no sounds short of the wisps of air, and there were no signs of life to be seen anywhere. Looking nervously to Link, unsure of where to begin in looking for answers, she watched as he dismounted Epona. He stood still for a while, carefully observing everything there was, or as the case apparently had been, was not there to be seen. Gesturing for her to follow suit, he lead Epona towards a small posted fence, where a trough still filled with water sat next to the wood meant for riders to hitch their horses to. Offering her a hand down from Titan, the two of them tied their horses reigns to the post, still looking around themselves at the town with worried expressions. Sheik, however, had drawn his blades.

 

“What is it?” Link asked, sword and shield now at the ready upon seeing their companion's unease.

 

“There is a thirst for blood in the air,” Sheik whispered out, crouching low to place a blade behind him while the other was positioned to guard his front. “We are not as alone as it appears.”

 

“Emily,” Link called quietly to her. “Get your slingshot ready -”

 

“A slingshot will not help her here,” Sheik said, eyes narrowing as he scanned the area. “What has taken over this village is not easily seen, nor defeated.”

 

“A thirst for blood,” Emily whispered out, remembering the odd creatures that had swept over the ground in the shadows before she'd been sent to Hyrule through the fairy's fountain. “... Garo.”

 

Quick as a whip, Sheik was in motion, lashing out as he caught the slight movement of the dust being disturbed unnaturally to his left. One blade had blocked the attack meant to greet his throat, while the other had been forcibly jerked through the gut of the creature that was no longer able to hide itself in the shadows granted by the high wall of stone surrounding the village. It's cloak had appeared first, old and just as dusty as the air twirling around them. Bony hands clutched tightly to it's daggers, attempting still to force them down and hit their mark. Bright glowing red eyes peered out from the darkness of it's hood, glaring just as hatefully at him as he was at it.

 

Tilting his blade and twisting it upwards, he tore through the thin flesh of the creature, earning a shriek from it as it's body hit the ground, sputtering out an ooze of blood that was so old it ran near black as it seeped into the sand at his feet. Flicking his blade outward to send what blood had stuck to it careening to the ground, Sheik had backed up, putting himself between Emily and the garo that had taken over the village.

 

“There will be more,” he hissed out, ignoring the body he'd left on the ground as it turned to ash as if burning from the inside out only to drift away with the wind. “Watch for unnatural movements in the sand, the very air itself.”

 

Nodding, Link prepped his shield in front of himself, blade pointed out ready to strike. “How many?” He asked.

 

“Too many,” was the answer received, as throughout the air the echoing sounds of more shrieks had begun to rise from the ancient clan that knew not of how to die. But of how to deliver others to death.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably could have held back on Pan returning. But I didn't want to. So... There, I suppose? Seriously though he is fun to write, and it worked well in my mind as a tie-in to introducing Sheik. Also, yes Emily doesn't much care for him, and to be fair at this point he doesn't much like her either. Not everyone starts off meeting one another with an instant like of the other person after all. Though, if you caught the tie in to her comparisson of him, and her choice words later on, kudos to you. It made me laugh writing it out, so I kept it.


	14. The Garo of Kakariko

Slingshot out, deku seed pulled back and ready, not that it would help her much; Emily kept her eyes trained on the streets around them. After that last collective shriek from the garo moving through Kakariko it had fallen so eerily silent she was pretty sure whatever sound was to be made next would have her leaping out of her own skin in terror. But despite the fact that she was terrified already, she knew they had to stand their ground, or rather - that she needed to. She didn't want to be a hindrance to Link, or to Sheik since apparently he'd just opted to join them without much of a conversation to be had on the matter. Thing was, she knew as well that while she didn't want to be the damsel in distress – Logically she was, as she really only had one weapon to use, and she still wasn't exactly sure if she was good at it or not.

 

Taking a deep breath in, and slowly blowing it out, she waited still – Up until Link struck out his blade, shield blocking the twin blades of a garo that had chosen to make it's appearance the moment it had attacked. Firing her shot, she missed completely, scrambling to grab another deku seed from the pouch Link had helped her attach to her belt. Sheik was already entertaining two other garo that had popped up out of nowhere, and as she loaded up her slingshot again, she took aim at one of his own since Link's had disappeared again. Letting the small seed fly, and hearing the snap of it smacking one of the garo in the back, she had a brief moment of joy at the fact that she'd finally hit something. One that was so short lived it was hardly worth the effort to smile as her features immediately twisted into fear.

 

Oh yeah, she'd hit it, and she'd also earned it's full attention in the process. While Sheik was busy fending off it's little friend, and Link was still dancing with the one who seemed far more inclined to pop in and out of sight to try and cut him off – She was more or less just standing there with some seeds, a stick with a stretchy sinew sling on it, and the wide eyes of someone who knew they'd essentially just screwed themselves. A fact of which that the garo seemed all too pleased to exploit as it moved to confront her.

 

A flash of light accompanied by the crack of a deku nut sounded out, leaving Emily finding herself momentarily blinded. She heard the echoing giggle of Pan and began to thank her lucky stars that while she may be blind, she at least still had someone to help her before she got carried away, or killed. Neither one she particularly wanted to come to pass after all. Blinking, and trying to focus, she saw Pan – Dancing around the garo who kept trying to take stabs at him only for the little skull kid to stick his tongue out at it and hop away as if this wasn't a life or death scenario they'd all found themselves in. Regardless, she wasn't about to complain as he'd kept the garo busy with his continued antics, even going so far as to bend over and smack himself on the rear mockingly at the assassin.

 

Lining up another shot, as Pan had effectively given her the opening to do so, she fired again. Reaching in an instant for another seed to holster, pull back, and let fly. She kept hitting it in the back, which while it was clearly useful in helping Pan, she was still miffed that it wasn't putting an end to the garo who screamed out in frustration; looking between them now as if trying to decide which annoyance was more worth it's time than the other. Of course, after being smacked upside the back of it's hooded head by Pan's flute, and hearing the resulting laughter of the imp, that question was quickly answered as it renewed it's efforts in an attempt to cut him down. Not that Emily simply stopped firing either, she continued to reload her slingshot, snapping it in the back, in the chest, the shoulder, in any place she could possibly target while Pan had it dancing around in near dizzying circles as it tried to catch him.

 

It was a distraction of course, she knew it had to of been. But in looking from the corner of her eye to Sheik who had finally felled his own combatant, it was one that had bought them the time for at least one of their more skilled companions to do something about it. Sheik, it seemed, had every intention to. The minute she saw him duck down to take a running charge at the garo Pan had kept busy, she turned her sights to the one pushing back against Link's shield with a strength even she didn't know they were capable of using. Hitting it in the side of the head, and surprising herself as she'd done so, she watched it shake about as if trying to rid itself of the stinging sensation the deku seed had left in its wake. Link had needed no further openings than that, bashing it in the face with his shield, before launching his sword forward into a powerful thrust that had the garo dropping it's daggers to the ground as it's body went slack.

 

Hearing Titan let out an angered whinny, she turned on her heel just in time to see the horse kick out its hind legs. Another garo had appeared, and been sent flying across the way to land near Sheik for his blade's to thrust downwards into it's chest with a warbled scream that trailed off as it had died. Yet again more screams echoed out around them, the entire town seeming to shake from the effect. The old windows on the buildings shuddered, a few even shattered, and the winds picked up further kicking more dust through the air that did little more than help hide the garo from having their movements tracked. Emily had pulled her slingshot up once more, looking around her, trying to gauge just where they would come from next – Only to see Link and Sheik had begun to back up, keeping a stance steadily held to either of her sides, protecting her from being taken.

 

Pan held up his flute, tilting his head as he began playing his little song, and if she had any doubts before of the green light that had flashed during their race through the forest; they were soon gone as she watched the bright green light appear around him. The light built up, brighter still, and as he finished the tune in quick succession, it was released to limit another blinding flash of green that blew back the approaching garo – Materializing them all on the spot, and sending them tumbling to their backsides just as it had sent the wolfos flying into the tree back when they'd first met. If Link and Sheik had anymore reservations behind not wanting the little guy to stick around, more than likely that little trick of his had changed their minds as they'd instantly rushed forward to rid Kakariko of as many of the garo as they could while they were still sprawled out on the ground.

 

Ashes rose from each that had been slain, wafting through the air to dissipate as those who could not be reached in time to fell began to rise up from the ground, intent on renewing their efforts. Link shouted back to Pan, asking the little one to play his song again but to his dismay Pan had only shaken his head; unable to comply with the request so soon. Still he'd helped as best as he could, shouting out clipped warnings as he bounced around the area tossing deku nuts at the remaining garo – Giving Link the chance to block the flashes of light with his shield, and Sheik the option to look away. Emily too, had used her arm to shield her eyes, waiting for the tell-tale sounds of Pan's attack to sound out before returning to her efforts at keeping the garo distracted with pelted shots from her slingshot. Each time she missed, she found herself catching on little by little as to why, and eventually she'd gotten it down to the point where even if she'd missed the first time her second attempt would at least make a hit to help throw them off balance.

 

With more down, the others backing away slowly – debating on whether or not to continue to assault the intruders a plume of blackened smoke began to rise from the center of Kakariko. From it a new garo appeared, larger than the others, and wearing a metal mask that looked like the elongated face of a fox. From beneath his robe, two large blades were revealed, each lighting with fire that licked away at the metal.

 

“Enough,” the new one bellowed out, angry as it looked to it's smaller cohorts. “I will handle this.”

 

“What is that?” Link asked, shield up and eyes nervously looking between Emily and Sheik as he awaited an answer.

 

“The Master-Garo,” Sheik replied, whipping his blades around to return to a defensive stance. “You must not let it strike you!”

 

“Emily,” Link said, looking over his shoulder to her with a gaze that held no room for argument. “Take Pan and find somewhere to hide -”

 

“Where?” She snapped, not wanting to fall back, and knowing there wasn't much of a point in doing so. “There are still others, and we can't exactly fight them off alone!”

 

Grunting in frustration, as he realized she wasn't exactly wrong, he nodded. “Then stay back as best you can. Pan, keep them off of her!”

 

“Protect big sister!” Pan replied, moving in front of her with a deku nut poised and ready to toss if need be. “Pan can do this!”

 

Trying not to be annoyed by the fact that she'd just been pushed back into the exact role she didn't want to fill here, Emily shook her head and hoisted up her slingshot once more. If they expected her to just stand there, wind blowing her hair about while she clutched her hand to her chest as if she were about to pass out? Well, then they were sorely mistaken. Yes, she was scared, and the deku seeds she had wouldn't do anything to the Master-Garo.  But she also knew they would need help. Which, one way or another, she intended to give it to them; be it by pelting it with tiny seeds, or by shouting out what she knew of it's attack patterns to give them an edge. Regardless, she wasn't going anywhere. 

 

“Link, don't -” Too late, her words were cut off as she watched the Master-Garo rush forward with his blades extended in front of him to smack into Link's shield and send him flying backwards.

 

Growling as he stood, jaw set, eyes narrowed sharply; Link braced his shield in front of him again. “I'm fine,” he ground out. “What should I do?”

 

“Think of the stalfos! Wait for it to prepare, then roll out of the way,” she answered. “Counter when it's back is to you!”

 

Seeing him nod, and catching the subtle movement of Sheik nodding as well in his own agreement to her assessment, Emily took aim at the Master-Garo and let lose a seed that tinked off of the edge of it's mask. “I'll just be over here,” she muttered to herself, trying not to roll her eyes as she did. “Shooting at it with seeds.”

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

He'd understood her well enough now, logically after that demonstration given he knew he couldn't simply block the blows being delivered. Or, he could, just not without the force behind them sending him flying onto his back and leaving him open. It was, as she said, a similar situation to the stalfos, and Link wasn't about to let the Master-Garo one up him so long as he could help it. Avoid the attacks. Simple, and it sounded easy enough in his head at least, up until the Master-Garo belted out a menacing laugh at the offered suggestion.

 

Planting one foot forward, his blades were held out to his sides. “I am not so easily felled,” he growled out.

 

Another spin attack, it seemed, was the goal as he begun to twirl around on one foot. With blades smacking into anything as he laughed and danced in an never ending circle, Link watched as Sheik darted out of the way and followed suit himself. Rolling through the dirt and using a push of his shield against the ground to keep him in motion, and more to the point out of the way, he continued to move as quickly as he could to avoid the blades. Both of which wound up colliding with one of the buildings, crumbling some of the stone free, and letting their fiery-charged magic set the wood of it's porch on fire.

 

He'd bit the inside of his cheek, catching sight of Sheik being forced back by the smaller garo who had decided to try and pursue Emily while their leader had him distracted. The Sheikah, he knew, was skilled. But he still had his own personal questions regarding his reasoning for joining them. Still, now wasn't the time to be picky, and as the Master-Garo leaped upwards into the air to try and slam his blades down upon him, he dodged yet again twisting on his heel to strike out at his opponents back with a blow of his own before backpedaling out of the way. For what it was worth the Master-Garo had let out a rather angered howl of pain, and Link had certainly fully obtained it's interest which left Sheik free from becoming a secondary target.

 

It was then, hearing Pan's giggling echo from somewhere behind him, that he had an idea. The little one could stun the smaller garo easily enough sure, but Sheik had proven to be good at catching sight of them before they'd fully launched an attack. If Pan's deku nuts worked on the smaller ones, there was a possibility it would work on their leader as well – Which would make this a lot easier in the long run.

 

“Pan,” he'd called out to the little skull kid. “Stun them, all of them!”

 

With another rising sound of his laughter he'd darted off to do just that, deku nuts began to practically rain from the sky, and as Link held his shield up to block the flashes of light he immediately peered over to the Master-Garo with a smirk at his lips. It was teetering on it's feet now, shaking its head in a frantic motion attempting to clear it's eyes of the light that had blinded it. Taking the opening provided to him, he rushed forward, slicing his blade down the Master-Garo's front, taking as many swipes as he could get in to injure it if not kill it outright. But unlike with the smaller ones under its command, the Master was not stunned for very long and Link soon found himself sailing backwards to crash into the side of one of the buildings.

 

Groaning as he picked himself up from the splintered pile of wood that had thankfully not pierced through the chain-mail beneath his tunic; he watched the Master-Garo swipe it's swords out in a show of further rage at the stunt he'd just pulled. The sounds of his minions screaming out as their lives were further stolen had it pausing to turn it's helmeted head seeing the bodies drifting away as little more than bitter ashes – The culprit of their demise was standing firmly at the ready to continue to defend the young woman who's slingshot was still poised to fire.

 

“Last one!” A chirpy voice rang out, light searing the eyes of the Master-Garo who screamed out once more – swinging it's blades furiously to avoid being attacked in it's moment of blindness.

 

Pan had raced deftly across the rooftops of the village, jumping down to land in a swirl of sand next to Emily. As for Link he'd forced his legs into motion, rolling beneath the swings of the blades, and kicking himself up from the ground as soon as he was able to bring his sword down for another hit to the Master. It's helmet had cracked, a chunk of the metal snapping off only for it to leap back in an effort to escape being hit with another swing. Surrounded by what remained of it's charges, it stared down the group's apparent leader who had brought up his shield and crouched lowly ready to roll out of the way.

 

For a few moments Link had held his breath, wondering what would happen next, only to be surprised upon seeing the Master lift a single blade outstretched to it's side. “This is not over,” it growled out, smoke filling the air around it, dissipating and leaving no signs that they had ever even been there at all.

 

“It left,” he said, momentarily caught up in a feeling of disbelief. “Why would it -”

 

“You broke it's mask, and in doing so have wounded it's pride,” Sheik cut off his question, explaining the matter without pause. “For now it will retreat, but expect it and it's minions to return. When is the only question you should be asking. I suggest you prepare yourself to battle it again at a moments notice. Such a slight will not be ignored for long.”

 

Sheathing the Master Sword to his back, Link gave a light nod of his head as he looked around the village. “We need to look for the villagers,” he said after a moment. “They likely held themselves up in the tavern.”

 

“If they escaped at all,” Sheik replied, sheathing his short-blades to his lower back with ease before unlacing the ties of the cloak he'd bundled up and secured at his back. Looking to Emily, he gestured for her and Pan to follow. “It is best we do not leave you alone.”

 

Looking as if she wanted to argue, Link only shook his head at her. “He's right. You did good with the slingshot. But in the end we already know Ganondorf's minions will seek you out first and foremost in an attempt to steal you away.”

 

Sighing she put her weapon away, not saying a word as Pan walked beside her and she moved to trail along behind Link. Her silence was a little unnerving, but he had a good idea as to why she was holding her tongue. Still, he hadn't been lying to her. While her slingshot did little in the means of damage to the garo that had infested the town, she'd been far more helpful than she actually thought she was in keeping them off balance with her shots. Leading the way towards the tavern, he inwardly swore to himself that the minute he found a new bow – he'd get to work on teaching her how to use the one he'd left still strapped to Epona's saddle.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Bored eyes accompanied by a seemingly endless frown were about all Link could see. His thoughts on where the people of Kakariko had been hidden away were correct, as many who had not outright escaped had locked themselves away in the tavern's cellar to avoid the garo. As it was now, he was being stared down at by the shopkeeper, Malo, as he explained what had happened to the garo who had taken over the village. Malo himself, never really being one for words, simply cocked his oddly groomed brow at him before nodding just once. The movement of which had left the candlelight within the tavern to reflect off the balding sides of his head.

 

“Yes, yes. That's great,” he commented, still appearing bored, and even seeming to be uncaring of the story itself. “With any luck my shop wasn't destroyed during your fight,” he continued. “To think you, a simple farmhand, are the one who came here to rescue us -”

 

“Malo,” his wife had cut him off there, sending an apologetic smile Link's way as she did. “Do forgive him Link,” she said, hearing her husband huff before he ambled off to go look into the damages done to his shop. “You know how he is.”

 

“It's fine Luda,” he replied, looking over the tavern with a small frown. “I just wish we'd gotten here sooner.”

 

She laughed, seeing what he was talking about as she too looked to the scattered bits of broken wood from the chairs and tables that the garo had destroyed in their hunt for them. “They couldn't find us. Damages aside, the place is still standing, and that's good enough for me. After what they did when they arrived here – I'm just happy someone was able to drive them off before we all wound up starving in the cellar.”

 

“How long were you trapped?” Emily asked.

 

“It's only been about a week,” Luda answered, canting her head curiously as she looked to Emily. “We were lucky the cellar is where we store most of the food and supplies we use here at the tavern. Still, we've not heard word from the Goron's for even longer. With them going silent, everything here was already starting to unravel, and they wouldn't allow anyone passage up the mountain side either. By the time the garo attacked, we were too preoccupied trying to find out what was going on with them to do anything about it short of hide.”

 

“Was anyone injured?” Link questioned, watching a few more of the townspeople as they'd made their way out of the doors.

 

“A few. But with the tricks father taught me before he passed, those that were are all much better now. More so, as they can finally return to their homes.” Her brown eyes cast downward at that, looking sadly to the floor of her tavern. “Or at least some of them can. I know a few of the homes here were destroyed during the initial attack. The bomb shop is – Gone, now. As for those who escaped, I've no idea where they'd run off to.”

 

Seeing Emily's eyes go wide, as she looked towards the upper level of Luda's tavern, Link caught sight of Pan walking along the railing as if nothing was amiss in his little balancing act. He'd been told to remain out of sight once they'd heard the returned cries of the villagers from behind the cellar door, and yet there he was – casting a shadow over the floor that Luda would likely see the further he moved in his game.

 

“Uh, Luda,” Link said, pulling her attention his way. “Is there any chance we could take up some of the rooms upstairs for a few nights? We came here with a plan to head up to Death Mountain, but -”

 

“Oh!” She'd smiled then, no longer at risk of noticing the skull kid hovering around in the background. “Yes, that should work just fine. Though, I'm afraid we don't have much in the means of supplies now thanks to the garo. Maybe if we sent word to Castle Town -”

 

“You haven't heard?” Sheik asked, finally speaking as he moved free from the shadows near the bar. “Castle Town has been taken, and the wilds of Hyrule have been near overrun with moblins.”

 

With the look of fear Luda had given upon hearing his words, Link sent a scowl towards the Sheikah. “Never mind Castle Town, Luda. Can you send word to Rosewood? We've been receiving refugees from places scattered throughout Hyrule for a while now. But I'm sure if you sent word, Malon could find a way to assist you.”

 

Slowly, she nodded her head. “That could work,” she agreed. “Malon doesn't take much gripe from anyone, ever. But what of the moblins on the roads?”

 

“They're busy combing the wilds in search of something else right now,” Emily answered, doing her best not to look as grim as she'd wound up sounding.

 

“Come on Luda,” Link beckoned. “Let's see about sending Malon word of what's needed here.” Letting her lead the way towards her office near the stairs, he sent another frown over his shoulder to the Seer who looked away from him in turn. “If nothing else, we can help the others who remain here on a hunt or two before we try heading off to the mountain.”

 

Watching him leave from the corner of her eye, Emily sighed, moving past Sheik without so much as a glance his way to head up the stairs and get Pan into one of the rooms before he wound up being spotted.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

“We should not be dallying about here,” Sheik commented, apparently having already grown annoyed by the fact that they'd remained in Kakariko for near two days now. “If we do not move quickly -”

 

“These people need help,” Emily cut him off with a whisper, gesturing from the tavern's balcony towards the goings on below. Link was currently helping Malo replace the charred wood of his shop's porch with new slats, all while Malo nit-picked the entire process. “Besides which, we still don't know when word can be sent out to Malon.”

 

Hearing a jingling sound, one that near had her turning on her heel to tell Pan to get back inside again; Emily leaned further over the railing to see a bright red flag bouncing up and down as from around the far bend of the town she spotted the postman jogging briskly towards Luda – bunny hood atop his head matching to the painted rabbit at the top of his flag. Luda handed him the message, and then hastily thanked him for returning to the village after he'd told her of what he'd been met with the last time he'd tried coming through. Handing her a package in turn, he'd nodded swiftly at her instructions to take her letter to Rosewood for Malon, and just as quickly as he'd come he'd vanished back around the bend.

 

“Well,” Emily sighed out with a small laugh. “I suppose that answers that.”

 

“And what of you, Seer?” Sheik spoke up again. “You've yet to have a vision again, correct?”

 

She'd glanced over to him from the corner of her eye, unsurprised by the narrowed look he was sending her from beneath the hood of his borrowed cloak. “No, I haven't had a vision, or a dream, or a nightmare, or whatever you want to call it. Why? Are you finally going to tell me what you know about how it works? Or are you just trying to annoy me again?”

 

With his arms already dutifully crossed over his chest, he simply watched her for a few moments before finally tilting his head ever so slightly as if that alone would answer her. “If you wish to know, you need only to ask.”

 

“Or, you could just tell me instead of poking and prodding at me with your vague remarks,” she offered in turn, rolling her eyes at him. Watching as he continued to stare at her, she let out another sigh of annoyance. She hadn't exactly been all that friendly with him since they'd met, and she knew it. But it was difficult to be when their introduction had been what it was. Adding on the fact that he'd followed her around ever since they'd sent the garo packing – she still couldn't quite stop herself from sounding irate when she spoke to him. “How does it work?”

 

“I already told you I do not know how it works in full. I simply know how it works in similar situations, like that of Princess Zelda and her bloodline. The two are not so entirely dissimilar, save for the fact that your own is the only one capable of using their talents to write within the book you seek.”

 

“Yes, well, I already knew all of that,” she retorted, watching his eyes narrow even further. Realizing she wasn't going to get anywhere with him unless she reeled in her irritation, Emily shook her head. “Alright, fine, I give up. How am I supposed to train myself to use my – gift?”

 

Something told her that beneath that head wrap of his, was an all too pleased smirk.

 

“For you, it is a natural ability of course, but it still requires training to hone just as any other skill would. For some it is easier than others, and in your case it should be. However, as you've apparently not been raised to know of such things, you will likely need to work harder as we continue on. Meditation will be required to train your mind. It will not be easy. You must get to the point in which you feel the power that has been granted to you as though it were as tangible as the slingshot you carry. Your focus will be a key point in making such practice worth the effort.”

 

“So I just sit on the floor with my legs crossed and try to – think about it all?” She asked, trying not to sound as skeptical as she actually was, and failing miserably.

 

“No. There is far more to it than that,” he replied, serious, and renewing his efforts in narrowing his eyes at her as if chastising her lack of knowledge on the subject. “If you'd like, I can attempt to walk you though the process of meditation. It is used for many different things, but it is about the only means I know of that would aid you.”

 

“You want to train me?” She asked, arching a brow this time and giving up entirely on trying to hide the fact that she doubted quite a lot of what he'd just said.

 

“Unless you think Link, or that imp of yours is better suited to do so -” He'd trailed off there, pushing himself away from the railing to begin walking past her only to stop in the doorway leading back inside. “Then like it or not, Seer, I am the only one here up to the task.”

 

“Are you absolutely sure you're not Zelda in disguise?” She asked, smiling at his back when she'd heard the barely perceptible sigh of irritation from him. “Hmm, you know what? Never mind. If you were Zelda, you wouldn't be so arrogant about -”

 

“When you decide to stop being childish, I will be inside,” he cut her off before she could finish, calm though stony as always before moving to leave her behind.

 

Holding in her giggle behind her hand, satisfied that she'd just annoyed him even if only a little after he'd taken up the task of hovering around her, Emily cleared her throat and moved to follow after him. “Okay! Sheik! Wait, I'll behave, and I promise no more jokes about -”

 

She'd nearly wound up running straight into his back as she'd rounded the corner heading towards their rooms. “Know that I will hold you to that, Seer,” he replied stiffly, feet silently carrying him forward again as he gestured for her to follow.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm messing with the Garo here. But I wanted to switch them up a little for this story. Hopefully the use of Luda and Malo here doesn't bug anyone. But if it does, know that I don't plan on going too far into the two of them though, as it was a last minute choice to use them since I'm going with a familiar layout to Kakariko by going with a look inspired by Twilight Princess. Yay? 
> 
> Posted up two little sketches I did in an attempt to get some of the characters drawn out for this fic to my DA page. Right now it's of a character who hasn't been introduced yet, and it's of an idea I scrapped because I decided on something else. Eventually the final version I created will be posted once I introduce him to the story. But in the meantime – it's still some art, I guess lol! Anyway, I'll be working on getting art for Sheik, Emily, and Link, done here as well. Pan, on the other hand, is fun to write, but for me – he's also proving to be really hard for me to draw. Still, you might see some stuff pop up on there between updates if you're interested.
> 
> http://scribbledincrayon.deviantart.com/


	15. Password?

Sheik had wound up having to kick Pan out of the room. Though, he'd been kind enough to do so politely once he'd caught sight of Emily scowling at him again. For better or worse, the little imp had not taken it poorly, climbing out the window to run along unseen over the rooftops of Kakariko. Unfortunately, him being out in broad daylight had left Emily far more nervous than Sheik had been aiming for her to be. In truth he had told the little one to leave to give her a sense of calm in which she could more easily attempt to focus her mind as he taught her the ins and outs of meditating. She couldn't afford to be distracted while attempting to hone her gift, and the imp she'd so casually given a name to had been attempting to butt in every five seconds once it observed them settling down to begin.

 

With his eyes closed, his breathing even, and his back straight, he could still tell she was fidgeting, and nowhere near to being as peaceful as she'd needed to be. Sighing, he opened his eyes, watching her shift again in her place, trying to keep her own eyes closed – and eventually frowning as they heard the distant echoed laughter of the imp likely up to no good.

 

Her eyes opened finally. Shaking her head as she realized he was observing her with a quiet huff of impatience; she immediately looked elsewhere. “This isn't working,” she muttered.

 

“You have only been trying for half an hour,” he replied stiffly, trying to keep his own annoyance with her apparent lack of an ability to settle down in check. “If you would actually bother putting some effort into centering your focus on the task, perhaps it would not frustrate you so?”

 

Somehow, even he doubted that.

 

Reaching up to pull her hair aside, tucking it behind her ear as she finally looked at him again, she sent yet another frown in his direction. “Why doesn't your Sheikah eye have a tear?”

 

He'd arched a brow at the question, knowing she was trying to change the subject but not exactly predicting that of all things to be an inquiry she would utilize in her attempts to do so. “It has never had a tear,” he answered, irritation growing a little as she'd tilted her head; looking as if she were about to refute that statement entirely. “You are thinking of legends and tales that no longer apply to the here and now. Just as I am not the Princess in disguise, the symbol of the Sheikah upon my armor has never held the addition of a tear as you seem to believe it should.”

 

“Why?” She pressed, either favoring the distraction now or rightly distracted entirely as she leaned a little further over to get a better look at said symbol. “And for that matter, why is all of your armor so dark?”

 

Closing his eyes now, more in an attempt to not glare at her, Sheik let out a small steady exhale to keep his words in check. If she wished to be curious rather than train, so be it. He would answer her questions, then see to it she returned to the task at hand. “Because there has been no need of it. The coloration of my armor is irrelevant, as those within the Sheikah clan have had many differing styles based on their skill sets.”

 

“What's your skill set then?”

 

“Like many with the title of Sheik before me, it is that of stealth, shadow, silence, and the ability to move unnoticed by my enemies.” Opening his eyes again, slightly surprised to see she didn't look bored or disbelieving of the answer he'd given; he gestured a hand in her direction. “Now, focus on the task at hand, Seer. This journey may only have just begun, but it will not go well if you can not control the gift you've been given.”

 

That had brought her frown back. “I have a name you know? Emily, or Emi – if you'd prefer -”

 

“I would not,” he replied, eyes finally doing what he'd been attempting to avoid. “You are a Seer, and a woman at that. Using your name in such a casual manner would be disrespectful.”

 

“Link does it,” she hedged, and just as his eyes had returned to narrowing in his annoyance, her brow had quirked yet again as if daring him to refute her words.

 

“He is a farm boy turned adventurer, and he still does not call you – _Emi_. He calls you by your name because you are his charge on the mission ahead of us. That does not mean he would use anything else. Rather, it simply means that even he knows how to be polite. Nothing more.”

 

“Fine,” she'd near growled that out before shutting her eyes and tightening her posture. Rebellious against his words, and taking it far more personally than she truly should have. He nearly thought that perhaps she was done with her game.

 

“But he calls Luda by her first name, and Malon too.” Clearly, he was wrong.

 

Regardless of how she saw it, it was a matter of manners, not of personal like or dislike. Though, in truth, he wasn't entirely fond of her thus far; more so, after she'd so kindly had him walk in the rain, yelled at him, repeatedly questioned if he was a woman or not – and simply been belligerent with him near every chance she'd gotten. But still, he'd not deviate from what he was taught simply because she wished to throw her own version of a subdued tantrum about it.

 

“Luda is both married, and far older than he. Malon, from what I have heard thus far, is the equivalent of a sister to him. Now, to the matter at hand,” he replied, closing his eyes as he knew well enough that her own would be open the minute he'd spoken up once again. “Focus only on yourself, and the ability you alone are capable of wielding.”

 

He could hear her grit her teeth, sense the tension radiating off of her in waves as she held whatever response she had thought up back. But as she'd not replied that time, he was satisfied at least that she had returned to trying again. Hearing her begin to regulate her breathing as he'd told her to do, no longer feeling her eyes watching him, and settling into the silence of the room around them – Sheik finally allowed his own mind to relax as he found his focus.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Two more days had passed. Sheik had continued to follow her, and attempt to train her. All the while, Link had been trying to help the villagers fortify their defenses, and gather what supplies they could to hold out until Malon could send aid. He'd even gone out the day before with a small hunting party from the village to return with some meat from the animals that roamed Hyrule's open fields. The town of Kakariko was fairing better, and with the help Link had offered Malo, the small store he owned was at least back up and in business. Even if it was slightly under-stocked business. Emily had gone down to visit the older shopkeeper, inwardly smiling at seeing the sight of one of the young children from the tale of the Twilight Princess all grown up. He still dressed the same, still had the same attitude as well, but it was at least a moderate show of nostalgia that held a smile to her lips after she'd finished purchasing everything Link had requested her to. Mainly, because he was attempting to avoid Malo due to the nit-picking that would be sent his way anytime he was within five feet of the man.

 

Regardless, with more deku nuts in a bag for Pan, a few extra arrows to refill what had been lost during the chase with the moblins, a fresh pouch of deku seeds for her, and a wave goodbye to the frowning face of Malo – Emily left the shop, wondering as she'd looked towards the roadway that lead to Death Mountain, just how well this next venture would go. So far, things hadn't exactly gone smoothly.

 

“Small potatoes,” she muttered to herself with a shake of her head. “Reality, face it, deal with it as it comes.”

 

“Do you speak to yourself often, Seer?” Sheik's voice sounding out nearly pulled a shriek from her lips before he'd reached a hand out from beneath his cloak to cover her mouth so she didn't startle the entire village. “It was not my intent to frighten you.”

 

Pulling away from him, and of course, scowling as well; Emily straightened her posture and continued marching forward intently. “Do you always have to sneak up on me like that?”

 

“I have been looking after you since we arrived as Link has been occupied in helping aid those who remain here,” he reminded her smoothly. “That has yet to change. So how am I to sneak up on you, when by now you should logically know I am always near?”

 

“I don't need a baby sitter,” she said, changing her argument now that his comment had irked her nerves. “And I sure as – I don't want one either.”

 

He'd caught it, that little indentation in her cheek when she'd bit down to stop herself from saying something else entirely. Regardless - “So then you are not the Seer we are meant to protect from being taken by the Gerudo King?” He'd presented the question quietly from beside her while they walked, as a small group of townspeople had moved past them.

 

“What I am, is something I have not always been,” she countered tightly, stopping in her tracks. The expression she had then was forced, as if trying to hide something. Poorly even, as he could see the hint of worry being expressed in her eyes alone. “Just because I can write a story in a book doesn't mean I want to be shadowed as if I require constant doting. Or do you intend to hold my inkwell up for me as I go about it when the time comes?”

 

He'd simply stared at her.

 

“Of course you do,” she continued on in exasperation, moving once more to continue crossing the roadway.

 

“You still require training,” he said, changing the topic as it was both necessary she continued with her efforts – As well as the fact that he was beginning to understand her resistance on the matter a little more now. Not only was she unaccustomed to her own bloodline's abilities, but if he was right; she was also afraid of it. “The stronger you become with your gift, truly the safer you will be.”

 

“Safer?” She'd shaken her head at that, moving even faster now in her attempt to be rid of the conversation by reaching her destination. “How could that possibly -”

 

“You will be able to see your enemies coming long before they actually begin to seek you out. You will be able to not only know what danger lies ahead of you, but how to counter it,” he pressed.

 

“If you say so,” she relented with a sardonic scoff, her doubt still more than evident. “So, how mad were you to find I'd snuck out on you again yesterday?”

 

“As I told you the first time, and the time after that - You did not sneak out on me,” he answered, still watching her closely. “I knew you had left. You are not as quiet as you believe yourself to be.”

 

Rolling her eyes, she pushed open the door to the tavern – her retort being lodged in her throat as they were greeted by the sight of Link and Luda looking over a map, all while Pan watched from overhead; sitting on the old wooden candle holder. His presence was likely only unnoticed due to the simple fact that this time he was above the glow of the candles rather than traipsing about in front of them. Still, another sigh had left her as she'd made her way over to the table to hand Link his arrows.

 

“What's all of this?” She asked, watching as Link began to deposit the arrows into the quiver at his side.

 

“It's a map of the roadway leading to the goron's kingdom,” Luda answered, leaning over to point to a spot on it as her eyes moved upwards to Link. “They have more than one gate. If you can't get around them you should know they will throw boulders, or even themselves if need be to stop you.”

 

“What about the permissions granted to Kakariko for trade?” Link asked, looking over the layout of the map intently.

 

“We did try that before,” Luda reminded him, leaning back upright to plant her hands to her hips. “It didn't end well, but they didn't attack either. They warned us to go back, said their mountain was off limits to outsiders, and not to return.”

 

“Is there nothing we could try to use to get them to change their mind? Anything at all that may be useful?” He pressed further.

 

Luda shook her head. “The only pass we have is the one granted to the bomb-shop here in town, which is now nothing but rubble. Even so, that's just a pass to allow the Goron's own traders to come down and deliver shipments of powder and bombs to be sold here. It's not the same thing as a pass to go up there.”

 

“So we have to try and force our way up,” Link replied, looking over to Emily he half-shrugged. “Any ideas?”

 

“Not really, no. The whole trying to force our way up there thing is pretty much a stickler for situations like this. When their home is under siege, or it's been placed in a delicate situation, the goron's have always blocked it off from outsiders,” she answered.

 

“What of the song that -” Sheik had paused there, clearing his throat and amending his words before making mention of the imp above them. “What of that song you taught to Link? You claimed the goron's enjoyed it, correct? Could we not use it as a means to distract them while we make our way up the mountain to their kingdom?”

 

With a crease between her brows, she thought it over, finding that it wasn't entirely a bad idea. It was something anyway. The thing was, that she'd more or less, meant that the song could be used to perk up their downtrodden moods after they'd arrived. A sort of means to make it clear they were friendly. As far as using it to get themselves up there in the first place? She couldn't say if it would give the results they needed to make the trip safely.

 

“I don't know for certain if that would work, but maybe. They do love that song. If I remember correctly it's received an enthusiastic dance, and the words: something just came over me, I suddenly wanted to dance like crazy.” She'd air quoted that, earning an odd look from the other three gathered around the table in the process.

 

“What song?” Luda asked, entirely confused by where the conversation had gone.

 

“An old – goron – forest themed tune,” Link answered, earning a raised brow from the woman.

 

Emily had bit her cheek again, holding back on the small laugh she'd nearly let out at his explanation, opting instead to simply look back down at the map. Maybe with Pan there, it could work? He could play it easily enough, and with him leading the musical procession - Link and Sheik could handle the problem of goron's attacking, if they did, while they moved up the mountain's path. The problem was, she couldn't help but feel like they were missing something. 

 

“It's better than nothing,” she said regardless of that nagging feeling in her gut, and not realizing she'd done as much out loud until she looked up to see them all staring at her. “We could try it. If nothing else, it's a plan. Outside of trying to fight our way up there, or dodge our way as that would more than likely be all we could do - We don't have anything else up our sleeves.”

 

There had to be something else, but – Whatever it was, she couldn't rightly say.

 

“What are you three planning on doing when you get there?” Luda asked, seeming nervous now that she'd heard their idea of a suitable plan to handle the matter. “Link, I don't think a song is going to help you here. They were kind to us when we tried, yes. But they know us. There's a big difference between the townspeople here, and complete strangers to them, attempting to make the climb while playing some song.”

 

“They may not like it,” he began in answer, sighing softly as he looked to the map once more. “But even if they do attack, they won't have much of a choice on the matter either. We came here to look into the sickness that's corrupted the mountain, to stop it. So one way or another, we are going up that mountain, and we are going to help them.” Turning his gaze back towards Sheik and Emily, he pulled the map from the table and rolled it up. “We can't keep waiting. Gather your things, we're leaving now.”

 

“But -” Luda moved, standing in his way with her hands held up and a more than worried look on her face. “You can't really be serious about all of that? This isn't like wrangling the cows at the ranch, or struggling to get the cucco's back in their pen, Link. Malon should receive word here soon, maybe send some help, and surely the goron's will -”

 

“No. He's right. We can't wait any longer than we already have.” To Link and Sheik's surprise, Emily was the one who had spoken up. “Even with Malon sending aid, the fact is that without the goron's, Kakariko is left with no real protection. The garo? They could come back whenever they see fit to, and without the goron's here, I wouldn't be surprised if they did.”

 

“Agreed,” Sheik cut in, approval clear in his tone. “We should prepare ourselves accordingly, and leave before we lose the light of the day. Trying to traverse the mountain at night will only make it easier for the goron's to fight us off if the plan doesn't work.”

 

Watching as Link and Sheik both set off to do just that, Emily followed slowly, stopping to look to the shocked expression on Luda's face. “Luda,” she called, earning the older woman's attention. “I know it all sounds completely insane. I really do. But Link can hold his own.”

 

“He's a farmhand,” Luda said firmly, scoffing as she gestured towards the stairs he and Sheik had practically flown up moments before. “The garo was one thing, but the goron's and that mess on the mountain? Too much can go wrong, and none of it will be good for Kakariko!”

 

“He's not just a farmhand,” Emily replied kindly, knowing her exasperation on the topic was well meant as she was just worried for all of them. “Hyrule's history is full of heroes, and he is one. Believe it or not, it's in his blood, and it's what he was meant to do. The goron's, Kakariko... He'll save them both, just like he did me.”

 

For what it was worth, her words had Luda holding holding her tongue. After a few moments, she just seemed to give up on protesting it all, silently heading off elsewhere as Emily climbed the stairs to pack up her belongings.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

The weary eyes of the remaining populace of Kakariko had watched them leave. Pan had practically skipped across the rooftops to avoid being seen as they put the village of Kakariko behind them, and turned down the road leading to Goron's Pass. Link had adjusted his gear, making room for the leather holster of his bow so it sat behind his shield along side the Master Sword. Emily had strapped her backpack behind her, grateful for the light fitting tunic that Luda had given her as the sun beat down from over head. The day was hot, but the further they got up the mountain it would only get hotter still. Seeing Pan drop down to join her, walking along with his arms held up behind his head, little feet moving in a marched sort of cadence as Link lead the way; she wondered how long it would be until they'd need to put their plan into action. As for the one who'd suggested it? He'd been content to follow behind them all, eyes scanning their surroundings, and strangely – Still wearing the cloak Link had given him to fend off the rain despite the heat in the air.

 

Then again, now that she'd thought about it, he'd been wearing that thing quite often since they arrived in the village. Or, rather, since right before they freed the villagers from the cellar of the inn.

 

“Sheik,” she called over her shoulder, slowing her pace to join him. “Why are you wearing that?”

 

“Is there any particular reason I should not be?”

 

“Aside from the fact that it's hot outside, your armor is entirely composed of leather, and we're about to climb to the top of an active volcano?” She pressed, arching a brow at him. “I'm pretty sure if you keep wearing that you're going to wind up -”

 

“I will be fine,” he dismissed without pause.

 

“Right, accustomed to travel, blah, blah, blah.” Watching him cant his head as if in answer, she waved him off as she moved to continue on with Pan, and leave him to bake himself to death since he clearly wasn't going to remove that cloak. “Forget I asked.”

 

“It has already been forgotten,” came the reply from behind her.

 

“You could try simply telling her, Sheikah,” Link called out from the front. “It is not as if she will not hear the tales eventually. Someone will spot what you hide beneath it, and eventually, you will find yourself being asked by more than just her.”

 

“If it bothers you so much, then why do you allow me to stay?” Sheik answered, the new conversation doing little more than confusing her as both of them seemed to be near forcibly trying to keep their words coming out casual.

 

It wasn't too far off from how they'd spoken to one another when they had first met, and were it not for the last few days events keeping them separated; she couldn't help but wonder how tense those days would have actually been otherwise.

 

“Because it is she who has allowed you to stay,” Link retorted, stopping in his tracks to look to him. “Had she denied your attempt to join us, you would not be here.”

 

“And were I not here, how well do you believe you would have fared in keeping her safe against the garo on your own?” Letting out an irritated scoff, Sheik pressed on, walking past her and Pan to point to the road ahead. “Regardless of the old wives tales that you've undoubtedly heard, you know nothing of the matter. Leave it be, and let us continue.”

 

“Fine. But know that I am watching you,” Link replied tightly.

 

“Is that so? Then based on your performance over the past four days of you continuing to be anywhere but at the Seer's side - Know that I am highly unimpressed,” Sheik smoothly deflected, gesturing to Emily as he continued. “In the task ahead, you do not have the luxury of being overly picky when it comes to the allies you find. Nor will protecting her be easy should you chose to deny help when it has been offered. I, like the imp apparently, am here to help, and I will not back down from the path I have chosen in doing so.”

 

“I have an idea,” Emily piped up, still confused, and now slightly annoyed by watching the two of them bicker. More so, as they'd chosen her to be their middle ground in which to do so. “How about you both knock it off? We need to be ready for -”

 

She'd stopped there, lips still parted to finish her sentence only for no sound to leave her. What had looked like little more than a giant boulder began to shift, moving to release a cascading flow of sand and dirt that trickled over rocky looking shoulders, arms, and a head. Uncurling with a gruff sort of growl of annoyance, the goron that had chosen to introduce itself stood fully, opening it's large blue eyes to stare at the intruders of the pass. He was massive, muscle so thickly formed it was amazing he was even able to curl up and conceal himself as he had at all; and more the the point - He didn't look happy.

 

“Pan...” she whispered out quietly, looking for him from the corner of her eye only to see the little one was no longer standing beside her as he had been. Instead, he was wandering straight over to look up at the goron who stared down at him with slow turn of his head.

 

“Goron big,” he observed with a touch of awe, spreading his arms wide in emphasis. “Make big boom?” Reaching out he rattled a small charred-looking fist against the goron's belly. “Hard like rocks -”

 

He'd let out a squeal of surprise, and likely fear as well. The goron had hefted him up to dangle in the air by his ankle, and as he struggled to free himself it tilted it's head to and fro as if trying to decide something. Strangely, after shaking him, hearing the jingle in Pan's hat as he'd held on tightly to it; it leaned forward and licked the side of the little imp's face. Letting out a noise of disgust, the goron had dropped Pan to the ground immediately after; ignoring the feat the small one had pulled off in landing on one foot before practically poofing away from it with a cloud of smoke to wind up hiding behind Emily.

 

“Not food! Looks like the sirloin. But not food... So hungry...”

 

“Food?” Link asked, sidestepping around Sheik to slowly place himself between Emily and the goron.

 

“Goron's eat stone. The mountain feeds them, protects them, and provides them with what they need to make their bombs,” Emily explained. “Poor thing is so hungry he thought Pan was -” She paused there, looking down to the imp currently clutching to the end of her tunic and peering around her. “He thought Pan was something he could eat.”

 

Saying that out loud clearly hadn't helped the matter, Pan had wound up gripping tighter to her.

 

Groaning again, the goron turned it's eyes towards Link. “Who are you?” It's stomach rumbled, and a large hand slid over it to rub at the empty ache that had sounded out from within.

 

“Should we -”

 

She knew what Link was about to ask. “I don't know if it'll work with how hungry he is,” she answered quietly.

 

She really didn't. There were a few variables to account for in all of this. Sure, Darunia and those he lead had loved the song. But, he was in a foul mood. What he wasn't, was starved to the point where he would have attempted to eat a forest imp.

 

“You're new,” the goron continued, looking them over with a nearly pitiful expression of hunger. “Not from the village. Strangers?” It had taken a step forward, hunger being dismissed as it craned it's neck to and fro earning a loud, and entirely rocky sounding crunch in the process. “Strangers aren't permitted here. Leave.”

 

She'd looked to Link and Sheik, still feeling Pan's nervous grip holding to her. “Uh – Guys I think...”

 

“We aren't leaving,” Link said, firmly, though politely. “We need to -”

 

“See your King,” Emily cut him off quickly. If he mentioned the mountain, or fixing it, or meddling with it, or pretty much anything that would make the guard think they'd come there to make matters worse? Not a good idea. Doing that was more than likely something that would provoke hostility, and that was exactly what they wanted to avoid. “We -” She needed to think, and really she should have been more prepared to offer more insight here. It wasn't just Link who'd found distractions from the goal ahead of them the last four days, and she knew it. “We have a request to make of him, an urgent one.”

 

That had calmed the goron's stiff demeanor, it had cocked it's head slightly, looking to her and ignoring the two males traveling with her, as well as the shaky rock-child that wasn't quite a rock at all. “Request?” That little 'oro' sound her grandfather would make when he'd describe them while telling her stories had echoed from it. Curious, and far more adorable than it could ever be scary. “What request? No. Busy. You should leave.”

 

“We can't,” she pressed, nervously stepping forward, and wondering how good of an idea that really was just a bit too late as she'd already done so. “It's -”

 

“About -”

 

“Stop trying to help by bringing _that_ up,” she whispered out, sending a narrowed look towards Link from the corner of her eye, who'd closed his mouth. “It's important that we see him, and it can't wait.”

 

Looking between her and Link now, it let out another curious sound and shook its head. “King Scoria said no passage to outsiders.”

 

“Are you certain?” She asked, feigning doubt as she knew that was probably exactly what their King had said. As for the goron? He'd frowned tightly. “I mean no offense of course, it's just, when someone is very hungry it can muddle their mind. Happens to me sometimes too,” she offered, hopeful that the rest of her quickly put together plan would work. “I know your King should be expecting us, Princess Zelda couldn't have possibly forgotten to send word.”

 

“Oro!?” That did it. “Messengers from Hyrule Castle?” He looked confused again, glancing around the group in front of him as if unsure if he remembered any such message. “If you're from the Royal Family, what is the password?”

 

“I -” And just like that, it was her turn to not know how to react.

 

Password? Okay. The closest she could come to in regards to a password was another song, and in all fairness, just like the others she had floating in her memory; she had no idea if that song happened to be the same thing anymore. She could try to teach it to Link – Which now that she'd looked up to her nervous male companions, seeing their hands twitching as if asking if they should draw their blades or not - It was at least an alternate plan. But one that had it's own possible hitches if done incorrectly.

 

“Just one moment,” she said, holding up her hand to signal for the goron to wait before gesturing to Link and Sheik to convene with her out of earshot. As soon as they'd reached her, Pan still holding to her tunic tightly as he'd shifted along with her; she bit her lip nervously. “I forgot about something earlier while we we're going over all of this in Kakariko,” she admitted.

 

“Do tell,” Sheik drawled, his eyes still trained on the goron who had continued to stare at them.

 

“Well -”

 

“You don't think Pan's song will work here, do you?” Link asked.

 

“Not really, not in this case anyway. It makes them happy, yes. But happy doesn't mean the same thing as having a password from the Royal family of Hyrule.” Pausing, she cleared her throat. “There's another song -” Her hand had shot out to cover Link's mouth, finding his eyes narrowing slightly. “I'm sorry okay? This hasn't exactly been the easiest of things for me to adjust to, and there are a lot of old songs that I know of. Besides, I already told you some of them probably wont work anymore anyway. Unless I start dreaming up visions of what's to come, all I can really do here is offer up suggestions, and you know that.”

 

He'd breathed out a huff against her palm, but nodded as she'd taken her hand back. “So what is this new song?”

 

“Zelda's lullaby,” she replied slowly, watching his face scrunch up again. “Stop giving me the stink eye, I said I was sorry - And as I already said, I can't claim it's the same song anymore. But, when it was used it granted the Hero passage to new locations – Or cleared obstacles in his path even. Thing is, it's as close to a Royal password as I can think of, unless she happened to give you a letter allowing you to come climbing up here, which -”

 

“If she had, I would not have been asking Luda for other options,” he reminded, missing her scowl at the fact that she'd been about to say as much herself, as he'd redirected his attentions back to the goron when it had shifted it's weight. “So, what places did the song offer passage to?” He asked.

 

“Well,” she began, mulling it over as she tugged at the old memories of stories she'd been told; trying to fully collect her thoughts so she wouldn't wind up mixing it all up. “One opened the way to Zora's Domain, another opened the throne room of a goron King. But the thing is -”

 

Yet again, Link didn't hesitate. Before she could finish, and explain the part about the song only being used when the visage of the Triforce was seen, he already had the ocarina out and ready; intent on trying it. “How does it go?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have kind of a love/meh sort of thing going on with this chapter. Regardless, I tried getting it cleaned up and ready to go as best I could. Which is part of why it's taken so long to update. I like it, but I'm still not sure if the way I went about small bits here and there worked as well as I thought they might. I dunno, I suppose we all have chapters where we feel sort of off about it, and so far for this fic this one is mine. Still, they are on the move, or sort of anyway. 
> 
> At any rate - Posted art for Sheik on my DA page. Just a headshot of him, but still something. So if you're interested here's the gallery link to art for this fic: http://scribbledincrayon.deviantart.com/gallery/56330847/Book-of-Fate
> 
> There's also two scrapped ideas for another character already posted. Emily, Link, and another character are due to be posted here eventually. Pan is still... Pan. I'm still trying though, so once I get something drawn of him that I genuinely like I'll probably be shouting it from the rooftops since he's been the hardest one for me to draw.


	16. Can't Always Be Right

The lullaby hadn't worked, and as she screamed – due in large part to the fact that Sheik had abruptly chosen to haul her off like a sack of potatoes past the chaos that had wound up erupting from boulders being tossed in Links direction - Emily silently cursed herself for even thinking to have Link try that at all. Just as her own mind had intently reminded her, the symbol of the Triforce had to be present, and it wasn't. It was stupid, absolutely stupid. She hadn't thought it through, or at least, she hadn't fully warned him like she should have, and now he was getting clobbered thanks to her just suggesting things without taking a moment to really explain it all more clearly.

 

Sure, she'd been right before. But there was no denying that all of this was her own fault. About the only thing that could even been considered worse than that, was the fact that currently Link was dodging a rolling goron, and in truth he was probably only getting free of it's hurried attacks due to the fact that it was probably low on energy from being so hungry. Still they needed to get past him, and all the others stationed to guard the pass as they went. Or, Link did, as it happened, Sheik's plan of hauling her off to leave the rest of it up to Link had worked well enough in keeping the two of them safe from the attacks below.

 

Pan on the other hand, had near casually jumped up to join them before cocking his little head to the side with a slightly entertained sort of pitch to his voice. “Should Pan help now?”

 

Watching on, as Link thankfully grabbed his shield to block an all too close attack, and wound up getting tossed in the opposite direction from the force of the blow alone; Emily nodded quickly. “Anything to make that goron happy right now would be a good idea!”

 

His little flute had been produced rather quickly. The song started playing out just in time as the goron had managed to snatch Link up by his tunic, holding him up in the air. It had, been about to toss him again. But as the song filtered through the air, that curious expression had sounded out from the goron who looked around, it's scowl turning into a lopsided grin. Instead, it put Link down and sat where it was nodding it's head along as if everything was fine. Instantly, Emily called out to Link to head their way, and quickly before the song ended. He'd hesitated for only a moment, watching the goron's odd little show before sheathing his sword and putting his shield back into place while running straight for them. She'd reached down to help pull him up over the ledge, surprised to see Sheik had also opted to lend a hand after their impromptu exchange of words. As soon as he was up Pan began to slowly trail the song off, letting it end on a soft note as they silently crept away from the ledge and out of the goron's sight.

 

“That didn't work,” Link surmised with a small frown, stopping in his steps to take a much needed breather. “Why didn't it work?”

 

“There wasn't a Triforce symbol for you to play it on,” she offered, guiltily even as she looked away from him with sad eyes. “I'm sorry, I really am. I wasn't -” Thinking it through as fully as she should have been before letting himself get carried away in relying on it like she had. If ever there was a moment for her to put her foot down and not just let him try something, that was probably it. “I didn't think it through before letting you try it, and I -”

 

Should have been more forceful on explaining it all for one.

 

“Perhaps it was simply the wrong song,” he replied with what she was sure was meant to be a reassuring smile. It had failed, however, when he attempted to stretch a little to undo the crick he'd earned in his back from being tossed like he had been. All that had really done was make him wince.

 

"Maybe," she muttered.

 

“It wasn't wrong,” Sheik said, his eyes busy looking forward to mindfully scan everything now with far more scrutiny than he had been earlier. “That song is one the Princess' bodyguard has played for her since she was a child.”

 

“Her bodyguard is dead.” The words had been spoken with clear suspicion, and just like that the animosity that had been present earlier seemed to be making a comeback. Link had moved to put himself between Emily and Sheik without pause, eyes narrowed towards the Sheikah, and worse still; his hand was already gripping to the Master Sword, prepared for a physical confrontation. “How do you know about that?”

 

“Because her bodyguard was my mentor,” he answered soundly, sending an icy gaze towards Link who had closed his mouth entirely upon hearing the retort. “Because like me, she too was one of the Sheikah. She was also one of the last to fall when the Castle was overtaken. The Princess had been sent on ahead to be certain she would escape in time. Impa had ushered me out as well, ordering me to find the Seer. To protect her in Princess Zelda's stead, as she had plans of her own to see to.” Rolling his eyes, uncaring of the defensive stance Link still held; that 'chh' sound of his had returned, emphasizing his annoyance. “You are far too quick to judge, and far too inclined to leap into a fight without thinking when you are clearly already injured. Why the Princess chose you for this task, that I think, is something I shall never understand.”

 

Emily had wanted to ask that if he knew what the song was, why hadn't he said anything on the matter of it being unusable. But watching as Link swallowed down his heated words, inclining his head in a polite, though reluctant, apology for the misunderstanding; she knew now wasn't the time, and felt as though she'd only be chastising him for her own hang ups on the matter. Impa was dead, Sheik had his own reasons for being here, and there was always a chance that he hadn't really known what the song could potentially be used for in the first place. In the end, she was the one who should have known better regardless, and it didn't matter either way. They were all still simply standing there, and they all needed to get moving again. Traversing the mountain's path was already proving difficult enough now, and they'd only just begun. If they stood around for too long bickering like this they'd lose light – and worse – as she highly doubted it would be any easier once it started getting dark.

 

Placing a gentle hand to Link's shoulder, and stepping around him with a small smile, Emily gestured forward; knowing it was unlikely that either of them wished to speak on the matter any further. Least of all Sheik. “Come on,” she said softly, trying not to sound as weary of the idea of continuing as she felt. All things considered. “We need to keep moving, and -”

 

“Agreed,” Sheik cut her off, his posture stiff as he'd turned his back to her and Link to press forward silently. “It is best if we keep conversation to a minimum from here on out.”

 

Nodding, despite his lack of an ability to see it, she moved to follow along with Link, leaving Pan trailing behind her. Catching up to their dour companion, they trekked more cautiously now; mindful of every step taken, every large rock they came across, and of any sound that echoed off the stone towering around them. The unnerving part about it, more so than the fact that not all the boulders they saw could potentially be little more than rock, was that there wasn't a sound to be heard. Or there wasn't, up until another rumbling of the earth beneath their feet began shifting the rocks, allowing dirt and sand to fall free from the forms of multiple goron's in between them and their next climb up the path.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Blue eyes scanned over the missive in her hands. Once, twice, and then again. Each time they'd grown marginally larger, as if unbelieving of the words she could plainly see written on the parchment. Cocking a brow upwards, tempted to ask the mailman yet again if this was really a letter sent from Kakariko; Malon shook her head with a scoff seeing the man had slid down the wall of her house to pass out in a heap of spindly limbs in the grass. Snoring away, soaked in sweat, and clearly having ran faster than he'd ever ran before to be delivering the message she held as quickly as he had; she motioned for Milly to bring the man a blanket at the very least. Peculiar man he was, he'd always denied anyone offering him a room to stay in for the night. She knew he'd wake up the minute Cojiro let out his morning crow, and he'd be long gone shortly after.

 

“What does it say?” Milly asked, expression slightly pensive after having watched Malon's face twist in a myriad of ways while she'd read it.

 

“It say's that Link is an idiot,” Malon snapped, not meaning to, at least not at Milly.

 

She'd proven to be more than capable of holding her own with the cows since Link and Emily had left. Quiet and reserved, she'd also had a sort of odd calming effect on Cojiro that soothed the cucco's feisty nature with little more than softly spoken words. In all honesty, the young woman had been far more impressive in tending to the farm than she'd really been expecting her to be.

 

Sighing, she tried again. “Sorry, Milly – It's from an old friend of mine, Luda. Kakariko was in more of a bind than we thought. Garo wound up infesting the place once the goron's cut off communication, and Link nearly got his hide handed to him trying to run them off. Say's here, that she's worried he's going to wind up going up the mountain without any sort of an actual pass to enter the goron's territory safely.”

 

“She believes he will make things worse,” Milly surmised her thoughts, lips cast downward in a small frown. “You said he was leaving to find out what was happening on Death Mountain, right? It would make sense that heading up there was part of his plan.”

 

Blinking, as Malon had forgotten if she had indeed gone into detail or not on the subject; she eventually nodded, thinking to herself that she'd probably wound up telling her without realizing it on days when the work load had near become too much for even herself. Not having Link on the farm was proving to be difficult, though she'd never admit as much to him, or anyone else for that matter.

 

“Part of his plan or not - She's concerned he's gonna end up causing more of a ruckus than what's already gone on,” Malon replied. “Knowing him, that's as good a possibility as any. Unless he's got a royal pass, heading up Death Mountain isn't advisable. And of course, he's probably going to wind up dragging Emily along with him, the idiot.”

 

“You don't think she can fend for herself.” It was observation, and one that earned Milly another raised look of curiosity.

 

“Last I saw, she could barely hit the broad side of the barn with a slingshot. I doubt he's even had the chance to try and teach her anything else either.” Huffing out a breath, knowing there was more to it than just that; Malon cast her eyes out towards the farm as she made a mental checklist of all the supplies the people of Kakariko sorely needed. “Luda say's they need supplies after being shut in like they were to hide from the garo. Gonna have to leave the work here up to you for a few days just to make the delivery. Maybe longer since I let him ride off with Epona. The other horses are strong, but that's still one heck of a trip, and the roads aren't safe right now.”

 

For what it was worth, Milly hadn't seemed the slightest bit put off by the idea. In fact, she'd smiled warmly. “I think I can manage.”

 

Laughing, as once more the young woman had seemed to have thrown her off with the amount of confidence she had; Malon glanced out towards the town. “Might not have to. I can convince some of the local men around here to heft their weight on the farm while I'm gone. They'll love showing off, and will certainly be more than happy to give you a hand with the heavier lifting.”

 

“What about you?” Milly questioned, gesturing to the wagon. “If the roads aren't safe -”

 

“I'll make it there just fine,” Malon replied firmly, sending her new farm hand her own look of resolve. “I won't be bullied off the roads by no man, or beast, and I sure as the sun won't leave those people needing supplies either. They've been through enough already.”

 

Besides, there was an idiot staying in a room at the inn there that she felt needed a smack to the back of his head.

 

Before Milly could suggest she take some of the men from town with her instead, Malon was already stomping off to get to work. Humming softly, and admiring the amount of resolve the other woman possessed, she waited until Malon had disappeared into the barn before she made her way over to the wagon. Hearing the mailman let out a grumbled snort, she eyed him for a few minutes, watching him smack his lips and mutter about rabbits before curling into a ball on the ground. Finding the coast was clear, his snoring evened out again; Milly held her hands against her chest, lips murmuring softly spoken words that sent a golden glow radiating from her form. With a gentle smile at her lips, her eyes opened once the spell was ready, and she laid her hands against the wagon, sending the flow of power she'd called on into the wood beneath her fingertips. It was risky, but in her mind necessary. Malon was a good woman, and while she was concerned with protecting others – sometimes she clearly needed to consider seeking protection for herself as well.

 

The spell began to fade, it's glow leaving a small etching of the Triforce against one of the massive wooden wheels. This way, Malon would be protected, and should her disguise be blown due to what she'd just done – Then so be it. She had seen enough of her people fall to the onslaught of the Gerudo King when he'd attacked the castle, and she'd not allow anymore harm to befall the people of Hyrule if she could help it. Even should that small protective spell be sensed by her enemies, while Malon was away, Zelda would still have the time she needed to begin working on her own plan of action.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

All she could see was white. Sheik was pressing her head into the wrap over his chest as he clutched her tightly and continued to leap out of the way of flying rubble. What screams Emily had managed to let lose were muffled by the fabric in front of her, all while his motions in getting her out of the way to somewhere safer left her stomach churning. At some point or another, she was almost certain he'd flipped them both bodily upside down and backwards. Not that she was complaining about not being crushed by massive boulders, or rolling goron's for that matter. But she wasn't exactly used to the weightless feeling the entire situation left her with. As for Sheik, he hadn't seemed remotely bothered by carrying her as he had. His breathing remained even, controlled, and his movements were just as streamline as they'd been when she'd seen him leap from Titan's saddle to avoid a painful crash to the ground.

 

In some ways, it was actually making her slightly jealous.

 

Feeling her weight being shifted, catching a glimpse of Link dodging another rolling goron while Pan prepared his flute to play another song, she swore time near slowed to a crawl for a moment until Sheik's back blocked her view of it all. He'd pushed her back against the stone wall, placing himself between her and the fight that had broken out once they'd been met with more guards along the pass. It had been going like this for hours now. Brief moments of calm, broken by more and more goron's attempting to stop them from climbing further up the mountain's side. Through it all, Sheik had been the first to grab hold of her and haul her off, leaving Link and Pan to deal with the goron's. She'd wanted to offer help, a suggestion, maybe even use her slingshot. Honestly, she wanted to do something, anything at all, rather than hide away behind the Sheikah while their companions took care of it all. But with that little voice in the back of her mind reminding her how utterly useless her last suggestion had been, she'd wound up biting her tongue.

 

Okay, so perhaps it wasn't entirely jealousy, but more of a form of self depreciation – Either way, the result was the same, as she felt about as useful right then as an old sock without it's match.

 

As soon as Pan's song filled the air around them, the rumbling of boulders, and growls of hungry goron's had ceased. A few moment's later, Link was beside her and Sheik with Pan slowly hopping backwards as he continued to play in order to join them. So far that, at the very least, was still working. Though until it would, Link was left to run distraction tactics so Sheik could drag her elsewhere.

 

“This is getting ridiculous,” she muttered, more to herself than anything else.

 

Regardless, Sheik had heard her, his head turning just enough to look to her from the corner of his eye. “It has been ridiculous since it started,” he countered.

 

Despite her current mood lacking much of her usual mirth, she let out a short laugh of agreement. “We need to hurry,” she said, looking over at Link only to frown slightly at the sight of him. He'd received more than a few cuts and scrapes trying to dodge everything that had been thrown at him, and currently his cheek was bleeding from the last time he'd miscalculated when to roll away. “You keep getting hurt.”

 

Smiling, and promptly hissing as the motion tugged on the cut pulling another trickle of crimson from it; Link shook his head at her concern. “I'll be fine, it's just a scratch.”

 

Scoffing lightly, she rolled her eyes. “Say that when you end up losing an arm or a leg. They've been pummeling you into oblivion.”

 

A loud thwak sounded out, earning their full attention as they observed their smaller companion trying to smack free pebbled bits of stone from within his flute. “Not good for flute,” Pan groused, holding it's tapered end to his mouth in order to blow free excess dirt. “Get's stuck! Makes song not work!”

 

So that was the problem then? His song had been slowly failing the further they got, and now they all knew why it was taking longer for it to have an effect. The tune was being muddled by the debris that would end up circulating in the air to be pushed and pulled into his instrument each time he'd play. Probably hadn't helped any when rocks would be sent flying, slamming into the cliff side around them to send further dust and debris spiraling through the air.

 

“Perhaps we should lead with it then,” Sheik said, eyes already long since moved to scan over the next area. “Each corner we take has lead us to more, and more, of their guards. By the time he is able to get the song started they've already begun greeting us accordingly. It would be best if we simply stopped them from doing so at all.”

 

“If that's all there is to it anyway,” Emily agreed, though not without her own doubts on the matter.

 

“Meaning?”

 

Her gaze had snapped to Sheik, catching the tight pull of his brows from beneath his bangs. This time he was staring fully at her, and clearly expecting an answer. Shaking her head, uncertainty in her own thoughts on what would be best still nagging away at her conscious; Emily simply turned away from and gestured for Pan to take the lead. “Never mind. Pan -”

 

A firm grip had taken to her shoulder, not tightly, but present all the same to turn her back towards the conversation. Not even remotely daunted by her glare, a sight he'd already seen countless times; Sheik had met it head on. “Meaning,” he pressed.

 

“Meaning, never mind,” she replied tightly, not enjoying him putting her on the spot. Especially when she wasn't sure if her own thoughts on it all was worth anything at this point.

 

Blowing into his flute once more, a loudly pitched note rang out around them that left the little imp giggling gleefully. “Works,” he announced happily, unconcerned with the stare down going on. “Pan take lead now. Play song first. Silly adults follow Pan.”

 

Tugging her shoulder free from his grasp, Emily turned her back to Sheik yet again, feet moving to freely follow behind Pan. As for Link, he'd observed the small exchange, lingering behind just long enough to send a look of warning to the Sheikah before moving to catch up. In the end, he'd placed himself to march along side Pan, and while Emily couldn't spot their quieter companion; she still felt his eyes boring into her as he followed along.

 

Trying to settle her nerves, she found herself humming along with Pan's song, mentally correcting herself that it was Saria's song as she went. It was that small thought that had her mind revisiting the old story her grandfather had told her, and in turn her mood only faded further until she no longer took any sort of comfort in hearing the music playing around her. It wasn't until she looked up, catching sight of the round sets of eyes that were watching their group walk down the path unhindered, that she fully allowed that sinking feeling in her gut to solidify. If she'd voiced her thoughts as Sheik had wanted, she'd likely have been proven wrong again. Or so it would seem anyway, as the goron's observing them all were happily bouncing away to the beat. Not a single one making a move to warrant concern.

 

“It would be in your best interest to stop doubting yourself,” Sheik whispered, closer now that their group were being watched.

 

Biting the side of her cheek, if only to stop herself from snapping at him needlessly; Emily kept her eyes trained on the path they were walking. “I wasn't -”

 

“Yes,” he interrupted. “You were, and I believe you still continue to do so now.”

 

“Maybe,” she hedged lightly, keeping her voice down if only to keep things civil. If Pan's song was stopped because the two of them had opted to argue this time it wouldn't end well. “But it's none of your concern, and it's of little consequence when my thoughts on the situation weren't correct in the first place.” Gesturing towards the goron's happily lulling side to side to the tune, she finally looked to him as he walked along now beside her. “Safe to say we're fine as we are now.”

 

“True. Though, that may not always be the case,” he pressed, and to her irritation, just as knowingly as he had when he'd breached the topic. “Not everything is the same as what you've heard it to be, no. However, that doesn't mean you will not find instances where it is. In those times, your insight becomes just as invaluable as your gift of foresight will be.”

 

“Neither of which I can apparently use accurately,” she hissed out lowly, shaking her head at herself immediately after. He was trying to help, for some reason or another, and she knew it. But it was beginning to irritate her. “Of course I'm not useful otherwise either -”

 

“You are taking this all quite poorly. One mistake does not a failure make. Rather, you will only fail us, and yourself, should you allow a mistake to be what brings you to such discourse and uncertainty. Learn from it, like any other would. Do your best not to repeat it, and move forward with a clear mind. Otherwise you'll then truly render yourself useless in the long run. As for your abilities in a battle, those will only improve with time, and a better weapon than a mere child's toy.”

 

What retort she'd had building within her simply came out as little more than a sigh. She didn't want to argue with him, and they both knew he had a point. For her though, the entire situation as it was now wasn't exactly something she'd ever expected to be put in. Adding that to the desire to mourn her grandfather each time she was reminded of him, and the fact that here a mistake could lead to far worse of an outcome than -

 

“Stop,” he practically growled out.

 

She'd nearly turned entirely to face him, believing he was going to continue on with the topic, and fully intending to stop him from pressing the issue - Only for his hand to wrap around her waist pulling her closer to his side. By the time she'd managed to get the excess fabric of his wrappings out of her line of sight, it was simply to see him staring forward intently, eyes tightly narrowed to ruby-slits. Immediately feeling uncomfortable by the position he'd stuck her in beside him; she began tugging herself slightly free from his hold; just to find herself thinking it would have been for best if she hadn't. His overly defensive stance in snagging her as he had made far more sense as she took in the new sights in front of their small group. Lost in her thoughts as she had been, and distracted by the conversation - She'd not taken notice of the fact that Link had stopped moving, that Pan's song had stopped playing, and that in front of them all now stood a group of goron's. Heavily decorated in their own form of tribal tattoos, holding spears in their hands, and blocking off a massive stone gate, they stared down their little group with menacing frowns.

 

Shaking his flute, as if curious as to why it had stopped being effective; Pan cocked his head to the side. “Not like song?” He asked.

 

Whatever answer had been given sounded muffled, and at first Emily had thought that perhaps it hadn't even been them who had spoken. But when she felt a small tingling sensation throughout her body, her vision blurring the shapes and colors of the world around her, she sucked in a deep breath - Watching as it all rearranged itself, the scenery shifting like the pieces of a puzzle. A new goron now stood before her, his form far more imposing than those they'd already seen, back lit by swells of molten lava that bubbled with a green tint.  The view would become distorted, as waves of thickened black smoke billowed out each time a small eruption sounded off. Even so, she could still see it. Bushy brows, a thickened beard of stark white surrounding an obvious snarl, an even rockier tapering to the natural armor all goron's were known to have, over his heart was the inked marking of his people; and more to the point - Within his grasp, held at the ready to be swung, was a weapon she'd swear was the...

 

“Outsiders are not permitted here,” the growled out words had cut through the fog that had come over her. As if drawn back into the here and now, Emily blinked her eyes, focusing on the scowling faces of the guards. “Leave.”

 

“No,” she said quietly, trying to focus her thoughts as she begun wondering who, and precisely what, she'd just seen. Sheik's grip had tightened it's hold, and she found herself looking back up to the goron who's attention she'd more than earned when she'd spoken. “No,” she reiterated more firmly, catching the worried expression from Link, but pressing forward anyway. “We're not leaving here, not until we've done what we came here to do.”

 

In hindsight, that probably wasn't the best way to put it; and the furious glares of the gate guards was proof enough of that. But as she'd already let the words fly, she could do very little to change it.

 

“There is nothing here for you to -”

 

“Your mountain has grown sick, your people are starving because of it, and there is a reason behind all of it. We've come to correct that, to aid you. The choice of whether or not we do isn't yours to make anyway,” she replied, holding her ground more due to the fact that Sheik was still keeping her standing at this point than anything else. After having that vision, or what she was certain had been one anyway, she was also pretty sure if he let her go she'd just drop to the ground. Add on the scowling goron's staring her down, and it was proving difficult enough keeping her voice from sharing the same shake to it that her knees currently had. “Your King is the one who decides on matters such as this, not you, or anyone else.”

 

The one that had been speaking had taken a step forward, and in turn Link had moved to hold his shield up, free hand at the ready yet again to raise his blade if need be. “We've come here to speak to your King,” Link said. “Not to fight.”

 

“No outsiders are permitted here without -”

 

“A pass that we don't have, yes we know that part,” Emily groused. “Not to be rude, but it's a little hard to get one of those when Hyrule Castle has been taken over by the same man who clouded your mountain with dark magic.”

 

That curious little 'oro' sound had risen from the guards, looking between themselves before ignoring Link entirely in favor of focusing on the young woman in front of them. “The one responsible has already been captured.”

 

“That's not possible,” Link countered, voice ringing out along side Emily's, mirroring the same sentiment. “Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves, has taken over Hyrule Castle, and corrupted the lands all throughout Hyrule.”

 

Looking between themselves again, clearly unsure what to believe as they'd obviously not received the news of that since they'd cut off contact with the world once their mountain had been corrupted; the guard who had stepped forward shook his head. “No outsiders -”

 

“He said he didn't do it,” the other one spoke this time, looking to his partner with a less irritated glare. “Do you think -”

 

“No outsiders!” The roar that the more disagreeable one had let out had reverberated through the stone beneath their feet.

 

Keeping her steady, and doing his best not to appear to be practically holding her upright; Sheik leaned his head closer to her own in an effort to not be heard by the guards. “Your power has sway all it's own, even when not in use – Here and now word of mouth may be the key to getting us past that gate.”

 

Slowly, she nodded her head, doing her best to force her legs to accept her full weight so she could stand a little taller. All the while, she hoped that when she spoke – her voice didn't quake and tremble like the ground just had. “Princess Zelda sent for us herself to solve this mess,” she said, unsuccessfully managing to stop the slightly fearful tone from blending into her voice. “The temple within your mountain has been besieged upon by dark magic. As has every other temple across Hyrule, and -”

 

“And why should the words of an outsider ring true to any of us here?” The guard snapped, slamming the blunted end of his spear into the ground between them. “For all we know your presence here is a deception -”

 

“She is a Seer,” Sheik hissed out. “Brought back from exile by the Princess herself to aid Hyrule's people.”

 

That, it seemed, happened to be the right words. Or at the very least, close enough to get them to relent to some degree. The guard who had been more than ready to argue finally shut his mouth, taking pause as he looked her over more carefully. “If that is the truth of the matter, tell us then, _Seer_ – What do you know of the matter? What has your gift provided you knowledge of that we, goron's who have lived within this mountain for centuries, know so little of?”

 

“It doesn't work that way, it -” Link began, only for Emily's voice to rise up, her reply cutting him off.

 

“The lava has begun to overflow. It's fire runs green filling the mountain with noxious fumes, and it is poisoning the very stone you eat – as well as any who's hunger pushes them to tempt fate and consume it.” She licked her lips, feeling nervous with the amount of eyes currently trained on her. “I saw a goron, the crest of your people inked upon his chest, prepared to fight even as the lava and smoke rose around him. He held in his hands a weapon that I believe was once called the mega-”

 

A loud crash cut her off this time, the ground shaking violently before the gate behind the guards began to lift. Dust kicked up at it rose, and through the grit in the air, another large form appeared. Donned in a thickened hide loincloth, beard down to his bellybutton, bands of leather straining against thickened arms, and the glint of a metal-made crest firmly in place upon his head – King Scoria stepped past his guards, eyes trained intently upon Emily as he ignored all others in his approach.

 

He hadn't stopped until he'd near towered over her, and Sheik's grip around her middle had grown near painful as he'd been prepared to haul her off again to safety if anyone so much as moved wrong. “You've seen the weapon of old, raised by the hands of one of our own for the first time in nearly two hundred years.”

 

It wasn't a question, and in all honesty the small spark of fear that had her voice cracking before had come back as a tidal wave when looking up at the massive form in front of her. All she could do was nod her head, and utter out a feeble - “yes.”

 

For a few minutes he stood completely still, eyes boring into her as he considered whether or not she was telling the truth.  Idly Emily thought of the old stone statues from another story her grandfather had told her. It was a much darker tale than the others, and the reminder of it in his stony demeanor was enough to send a chill down her spine.  “Let them inside,” he said, finally turning his back to her in order to gesture to his guards to move out of the way. “We have much to discuss, and very little time left to do so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the super long wait for the update. If you haven't been checking my DA page to see what's been going on, the short answer is: laptop issues, program issues, more laptop issues, and life in general - wound up keeping me from getting this out sooner. I also wound up having to rewrite this entire chapter as some of what I had for this, and a few other fic's I've been working on, was lost because I hadn't gotten around to backing it up on my external hard-drive before my laptop decided to throw a fit. (Yay... X_x) 
> 
> Anyway, if you haven't seen it yet I posted a few drawings on DA for this story. Just two so far, and both of them are of Emily, or attempts at drawing her out. Not final drafts of her or anything, since I'm still not entirely satisfied with it. Mostly because she seems to be coming out looking older than she actually is haha! But they've been posted anyway to at least show some of my progress on that front. Feel free to look if you'd like. If not, just keep in mind I tend to post most updates there under the journal tab for my profile. So if you're waiting for an update, or curious about what I'm working on at the moment, it's generally posted there.
> 
> http://scribbledincrayon.deviantart.com/gallery/56330847/Book-of-Fate


	17. Scoria

Scoria had lead the way, his gait as heavy as the tromping sounds of his large bare feet against the ground. Link had followed along curiously, blue eyes taking in the sights of two smaller goron's rolling up into tight rock-shaped balls only for their bodies to leap up into the air and slam down to the ground. The force of the move had triggered a door to open, and with a lifted brow he'd sent Emily a questioning look that she returned with a small smile. Yes, as far as she knew - that was entirely normal. As soon as he took in her smile, he'd let out a short chuckle at his own rattled nerves trying to tell him otherwise. Sheik had kept close to her, though had also been slightly pushed aside by the smaller form of Pan. The little imp was more inclined to stay glued to Emily's side as they'd entered the goron's hall, mainly due to the hungry eyes that would watch him move with the same sort of quizzical look as the one who had licked his cheek during their climb.

 

She couldn't blame him though, not even when his little grip tightened and tugged on her tunic. It was safe to say no one would ever want to be sized up as a possible meal.

 

Of course, he'd earned an indignant sort of scoff from Sheik for his cowering. But considering she'd been near ready to chew him out before realizing they'd made it to the gate, she wasn't entirely inclined to intervene when Pan had pushed him aside either. His peculiar ways in handling her were unnerving at times, and becoming slightly more so with how accurate his words had been. Sure he was a Sheikah, she'd give him that. The whole moving in the shadow's thing they seemed to praise in all of the tales she'd heard growing up, seeing everything, and rarely being seen – that all-seeing-eye that ever present in their peoples history? She could at least manage to rationalize it, even if he was a he and not Zelda in disguise. But that didn't mean having him direct that all-seeing ability at her wasn't strange. It also didn't help any when she had to mentally push herself to not admit that she probably did need his overly attentive watch over her. Still, even with her pride wanting to tell him to push off, with little more than a slingshot to protect herself otherwise; she couldn't deny, he was right. She didn't have much in the means of protection unless he, or Link, or Pan even, was able to give her a proper sort of guard.

 

Pulling herself free from her thoughts, and more to the point, realizing they'd been lead into a large throne room, filled with many old goron's who sat in a circle near the throne itself; she knew now was the time to earn Scoria's favor if at all possible. If he said no to allowing them within Death Mountain's temple, then there was no way they could help, least of all continue their quest.

 

“What brings you to trespass here?” Scoria questioned, leaning over in his stone throne to stare down at the four of his captors. “We don't normally permit outsiders in these halls. Yet you've braved the trail, leading beyond where even merchants dare to travel – and without a pass granting you rights to do so. Speak freely, but honestly. Otherwise, you will find this conversation ending with your exile.”

 

Stepping up to the proverbial plate, Link cleared his throat, doing his best to not sound intimidated. “We came here to find what the source of the sickness within your mountain, and to find a way to put a stop to -”

 

“What do you know about our mountain?” The King had risen from his seat, stepping towards Link with stony fists clenched at his sides. “Few if any outsiders ever have the option to view it's firey depths. Before, the fires were red, warming her stones, granting us our meals as we tended to her needs. But now the lava has turned green, and the very stone we eat has become infected with the same sickness that leads her to shake and spew venom. Why should I trust that you've come here with the intent to aid my people? You are no goron, you have no reason to offer us aid.”

 

“Because we know who's responsible,” Link said firmly, though taking a step back this time despite knowing it would be seen as a show of weakness in front of the goron's surrounding them. “His dark magic has infected more than just your lands. The Gerudo King Ganondorf has spread his evil across Hyrule. The castle was overrun by his forces, the Forgotten Forest has grown dark, the soil black and rotting, and your mountain clouds over with a toxin brought on by the same magic that has been corrupting the lands elsewhere – We,” he added, gesturing to his companions. “We have been sent to stop it all.”

 

“Ganondorf?” A collective murmur of discontent wound up echoing out as the King had repeated the name. “I've not met such a man. We have already captured the one responsible for allowing what has happened here to -”

 

“If you do anything to him, then the only thing you will accomplish is punishing the wrong person,” Emily piped up, earning the King's attention, who subsequently reached out to forcibly move Link away from her.

 

“And who are you to doubt my ruling?” The question had been delivered with a low sort of graveled growl. “You made claims to my guards that you were a Seer. But such people have not walked Hyrule for centuries. So a sorceress, perhaps? An outsider who wields magic that can be just as dark as that of this man you claim has brought this sickness to my people? You said you saw one of our own wielding the weapon of old, but you've yet to tell me how, or why.”

 

“Big sister is big sister,” Pan offered from behind her, peering out at the King who'd cocked his head to look down at the little one. “Fixes bad magic. Want's to fix mountain. Pan's forest too!”

 

“So a sorceress,” he dissmissed.

 

“No,” Emily whispered with a slow shake of her head. “I -” Was absolutely terrified for one. “I -” For two she may be meant to be a Seer, but she could still barely control her visions, least of all decide when one came to her.

 

“You what girl? Speak up!”

 

“I was brought here by the Princess to aid Link,” she finally continued, near trembling as the massive form of Scoria continued to tower over her. “Link isn't wrong.  The lands of Hyrule have begun to become corrupted by Ganondorf's magic in his attempt to obtain The Book of Light.” The murmuring grew louder, and she'd swallowed down the lump that had formed in her throat watching the King lift a hand in request for silence. “Zelda brought me here because I'm the - the only person who can actually use the book.”

 

Looking to Link, waiting to see if he'd have any input to give and receiving none, Scoria's eyes flicked towards Sheik for the briefest of moments before he relaxed ever so slightly. “So, not simple sorceress, no - but a Seer stands in my halls?” He questioned, leaning back to no longer loom over her like a gargoyle. “There are legends of your people. Ones even the goron's know. Your kind was sent away to keep the book you no doubt seek now from being used against this land, and all who live within it. Why would the Princess risk bringing you here? Bringing you closer to the book itself?”

 

“Because she had no other choice,” Emily answered, a little more steady now that he seemed willing to listen. “Somehow Ganondorf came to learn of the book, of what it can do. He wants it to write fate in his favor, granting him the Triforce, making it so no one will ever be able to oppose him. When he attempted to obtain a Seer that he could manipulate into writing his preferred history – he killed my grandfather, leaving only me behind. If she hadn't brought me here herself before going into hiding, somehow, he would have.”

 

Groaning as he moved back to his throne, he looked to the others curiously watching their meeting with wide eyes. “Leave us,” he ordered, watching as each goron did as told, curling up to roll out of the massive chamber. Once they'd left, Scoria's attention returned to their group. “Forgive my mistrust, but know that it is required in keeping my own people safe. With our food being poisoned, the mountain crying out at us in agony as she rots from the inside out – It has made this meeting between us difficult, but it was still necessary. This sickness you speak of, the one that indeed plagues our mountain? The fires that burn green, the lava that boils ill will, it all seeps through the stone and to our mountain's very heart. It will spread if we do not keep it contained.”

 

“Keep it contained?” Link asked, expression turning slightly worried at the finality of that statement. “You've closed off access to the temple.”

 

“I have,” Scoria confirmed, only to huff out an irritated breath a moment later. “I have also been forced to bear the burden of placing my own brother in chains, though, he went willingly. He attempted to breach the temple, intending to find the source of this chaos and wipe it out of our mountain, accomplishing little more than creating a small crack in the outer foundation of the temple's walls. But in doing so, he allowed it to bleed further into the mines. What scant food our people could still pull from the rocks is no more.”

 

“But if you know he wasn't attempting to make matters worse, why were the guards speaking of him as though he was solely responsible for -”

 

“Because our people can't hold back death for much longer,” the King snapped back, cutting off Link's words with a shake of his head. “Some already have... We were too late in discovering how far the sickness truly had spread. The poison within the stone would twist their stomachs, crush their insides, leaving them ill of both body and mind. He, though not responsible for what stirs within the temple, is responsible for allowing it to bleed out and spread it's corruption further. No matter the reason, he is to be held accountable for that.”

 

“No. No, he has to be there,” Emily said, licking her lips as she tried to keep her nerves steady. “I saw him, or what I'm assuming is him, so would it not make sense that he was meant to go into the temple?”

 

Humming gruffly, Scoria nodded his head but once. “Perhaps. If he indeed held the weapon of old, reforged over the ages to strengthen it against the ravages of time, within his grasp then there is a small chance -”

 

“I would not test what little luck your people have left by betting against the eyes of a Seer,” Sheik said, gesturing to Emily despite the slight glare she'd sent his way due to the sharp tone he'd chosen to use. “The book may be why they were taken out of this world, but it is not just it's power that one must take into account.”

 

“As expected,” Scoria said, eyeing Sheik as though he'd just been challenged, “strong words from a Sheikah. Your kind truly have no tact when it comes to dealing with others, do you?” Smirking at the narrowed look he'd received in turn, he shook his head dismissively. “You may hide your symbol behind a cloak, but the eyes of my scouts do not betray me anymore than this young Seer's eyes do her. Count what blessings you have boy, that you are accompanied by those in league with the Princess. We're you alone, your presence here would not be tolerated.”

 

“So you claim,” Sheik countered, crossing his arms over his chest and not even remotely backing down with that glare of his. “Yet you've allowed one of my kind here before. My mentor, Impa, has she not been within your halls? Furthermore, was she not treated as a friend?”

 

“Impa,” Scoria repeated, lifting a fuzzed brow denoting his skepticism. “You expect me to believe that she helped rear a lad such as you who speaks out of turn? Your kind, save for those like her who stood against their -”

 

“No matter the history you wish to speak on - there is no shame to be of the Sheikah,” Sheik snarled out thickly, cutting off the King in front of him as he took a step forward. “Impa taught me all she knew, and I remain here to defend the Seer as she requested of me. You, King or not, have no say in the matter of my presence. I will not abandon the final task she gave to me.”

 

“You speak as if she is gone,” Scoria replied soundly, shifting in his seat for a moment as he observed the young Sheikah. “She has fallen?”

 

“Yes,” Sheik confirmed roughly, “to the same man who is responsible for bringing this sickness to your people. The same man who now sits upon a stolen throne, claiming to be the rightful King of Hyrule.”

 

Looking to Emily, and back to Sheik; Scoria sighed. “It would seem loss is a theme among us. My people, family, and a woman who was tougher than the hardest of stones within this mountain. Perhaps you are correct, my brother will be lost to me should I carry out the punishment assigned to him. But if I am to allow him to venture forth with you, then he may still hold his head high as a goron after all.”

 

“You were going to banish him from the mountain,” Emily said, mind swirling after the back and forth that had gone on, the mention of history – but stumbling now as she realized what Scoria's words had meant. “You we're going to cast him out.”

 

Frowning sadly, Scoria nodded. “Yes. With the uproar his actions have caused among those who remain, starving but still standing, and holding on to what strength we can still call upon from our mountain – it was the only decree I could make that wound not end in another death.”

 

“So change it,” she quickly countered, stepping forward now without hesitation. “The Princess sent us here because she fully believes we can undo this – _all of it._ Executed poorly, or not, your brother had the right idea. You need to give us the chance to try and make things right again. Otherwise all you're doing here is delaying the inevitable. He won't even need the book to win, not if every force in Hyrule is crippled, or simply wiped out because we can't get to it ourselves in order to stop him.”

 

To the groups surprise, Scoria nodded in agreement with her words. “It would seem your kind are not only versed in the ways of looking forward, but also skilled in the ways of seeing the here and now for what it is. I know my people can't hold out forever, and if there is a war on the horizon to be had with this Ganondorf – then I have every intention to be there to see him struck down. Very well, I will release him to your custody, and he will join you on your quest into the mountain. But,” he hedged, looking to Pan who ducked back behind her, “I believe there is one here who will not make the journey so easily. Dry grass, tattered cloth not of goron-make. He will perish within the heat. It would be wise to leave the little one behind, and it would give my people the good faith of knowing you intend to return successful with your new charge, Seer.”

 

Fair enough. Pan not going into a fire-filled mountain made sense, even with him currently protesting the matter at her side, and – Wait. _Her charge?_

 

“My – my new charge?” She stammered, hand coming up to gesture to herself in emphasis as she wearily looked to Link for some sort of aid – finding none as he seemed just as surprised by the ruling as she was - and back to Scoria. “Oh no! No, no, no... No, Link is the one in charge here, I just -”

 

Rising from his seat, and full on laughing this time around, Scoria simply smiled down at the dumbfounded look he'd left on the Seer's face. “Do not worry yourself, Seer. My brother is a hard stone to crack, but he wouldn't allow harm to come to you. Come, if you are to enter the Temple of Eternal Fire then we must prepare you all for what lies ahead, and I must explain this to my people.”

 

“Temple of Eternal Fire?” She repeated, only to realize Scoria was already strutting off with Link in tow. “Oh good, that's a place then.”

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Flames licked up through the air, the clang of metal being hit by a blacksmith's hammer ringing out loudly in the room Link and his companions had been lead to. Behind him Emily slowly trudged along with Pan still curiously clutching to her tunic as he looked around in amazement at everything there was to be seen. As for the Seer herself, she didn't quite seem amazed so much as she seemed put off by the entire idea of being here now. So much so, that she was muttering under her breath about how insane this world was, all while Sheik seemed to be even more inclined to glare at Scoria's back. Why that concerned him, Link could hazard a guess, as to be honest it had concerned him as well. Her taking over the role of a big sister to Pan was one thing. The little imp had taken a liking to her, and despite his earlier concerns about it following them around – he had to admit, the little one held his own bag of tricks that was useful. Plus, seeing Pan irritate Sheik was something he secretly enjoyed.

 

Even if he knew Sheik being there was probably a good thing when it came down to protecting Emily.

 

Regardless, while Scoria had chosen to release his brother into her custody, Link somehow got the feeling that was more a formality to appease his people when he made his grand speech. Judging by his reaction to the fact that Emily was in fact a Seer; it wasn't surprising that he would go with that over claiming a farm boy, or the argumentative Sheikah, to be the one responsible for his brother's actions from here on out. Though, he understood why that worried her. Judging by the sounds of things, and the fact that Scoria had been forced to confine him, it was clear his brother was quick to act without thinking of the immediate consequences it could bring. In all, she may have her hands full in keeping him from acting out. If she even could, least of all, if he and Sheik could stop him. Still, until they'd met him, there really was no telling just how he would behave in the long run.

 

“Come,” Scoria beckoned, gesturing for Emily, Pan, and Sheik, to hurry up. “We must ensure you're capable of entering the temple without burning up from it's heat. It is a rare occasion when we have need to forge such armaments for Hylians. But we need to work quickly if you plan on helping to stop this before it can get even worse.”

 

Looking over and seeing the metalwork for himself, Link took pause as he noticed only two metal plates were currently being worked on by the smithies. “What about Emily's?” He asked.

 

Scoria turned his head, cocking it to the side as if he'd asked a stupid question. “Her's will need to be forged differently. Fear not,” he added, seeing the girl in question's eyes widen slightly in concern over what that might entail. “It's not just bombs that we trade with the Princess' forces. We goron's have aided in forging armor for her warriors as well, and she has many females who serve among them.” Humming gruffly, he shook his head. “Or did. I assume if the castle has fallen, then her forces are -”

 

“Nearly decimated, or at the very least scattered,” Emily answered, looking over the forge's flames, and keeping her distance from the stray sparks that would fly up with each blow made to the metal being worked. “We haven't seen any soldiers thus far in our journey. I worry there may not be...”

 

“If any survived, and they're smart enough, which they are,” Sheik said, picking up where she let off as he caught her attention. “Then they are in hiding just as she is, waiting for the time to strike before bearing arms once again.”

 

Giving an agreeing sort of grunt, and slamming a heavy fist over his belly; Scoria smiled broadly. “Agreed! Hylians may not do so well within our mountain's depths, but on their own grassy-turf they're a solid force.” Seeing his words had their intended effect, cheering up the Seer as she finally smiled, he gestured back towards the goings on of the forge. “When we're done here, even you will be equipped to handle more than just the heat of our mountain.”

 

Watching her hesitate to follow for a moment longer, Link offered her a warm smile; trying to further cheer her up. “We've got this,” he said firmly, hopeful that statement would add to the grin Scoria had gotten from her. “All we need to do now is prepare, right?”

 

Biting her lip for a moment, she nodded, and indeed her smile had grown. “Right. Courage, and all of that.”

 

“Courage?” The little imp said, head canting to and fro, only to turn and look over at him. “Why? Pan has big sister. No problem. Goron's get mountain back. Pan's friends get forest back. Bad magic goes away! Bad man gets sent away!”

 

“That's one way of looking at it I guess,” she responded, looking down to him. “But it's going to take a lot to get through it all, and not just for the mountain or the forest. It's not quite as simple as that.”

 

“If big sister says so. Pan still thinks courage is silly. Pan believes big sister can help! Pan's tricks will help too!” Hopping back from sparks that sputtered up from the forge, he made a disgruntled little sound of outrage before looking back up to her. “Maybe Pan teach big sister tricks. Make things easier for big sister!”

 

Obviously trying not to giggle at his words, the Seer simply shook her head and moved to catch up to Link; this time muttering out a small 'thank you' to him as she joined him.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

The wait for their armor to be forged stretched out, and with very little for her to do in the meantime. One day slipped into two, two into three, and three into four. Emily still had yet to meet her assigned 'charge', but Scoria wanted to keep his brother where he was until he knew they were fully outfitted in the proper gear to survive Death Mountain's heat. As for what lay inside the temple, he had no insight, saying it had been closed off for centuries. To her that much made sense, as overall, if she and Link had guessed correctly anyway, then it was just the first of many locks needing to be opened in order to find the final temple that held the book. Leave it to Zelda's ancestors to make said first lock inside of a place called 'Death Mountain.' Even better, in a temple known as the 'Temple of Eternal Fire.' Still, even if she didn't really want to go in there, and even though a big part of her really didn't want anything to do with any of this, she knew it had to be done.

 

Not that she was going to run away from it.  Her lot in life right now was what it was – Reality, face it, and deal with it as it comes.

 

Instead of allowing herself to focus too much on that, thinking it best she avoid considering all of the aspects of this journey that scared her; she shifted her thoughts elsewhere. Namely, to the strange quietness of Sheik over the past few days. He would speak, to Link, or even to Scoria – in a round about sort of way where he'd simply look at Link with a glare while doing so. But he hadn't said a word to her since they'd left the forge. It was odd, and almost odder still that she was starting to miss his snark. He hadn't even scolded her if she'd give up after hours had passed and she felt like she'd gotten nowhere. Then again, he also hadn't so much as uttered a peep of a word about anything. Their mission, the goron's, Pan being Pan. Nothing. Sure he still had that crinkle to his brows, but the thing was after his initial talks with Scoria, he hadn't been directing it at anything, or anyone, in particular. It was just, there. Really, the only plus she could see to his behavior, was the fact that he'd finally removed that cloak he'd been wearing.

 

Well perhaps that wasn't the only plus. Even with her feeling as though she was constantly failing at her meditation practice, he had kept to the schedule he'd instituted in Kakariko. Coming to see her at the same time twice a day, he would politely sit down on the floor to take his position for meditation, and quietly wait for her to join him. While she was still frustrated by the process, as turning her wandering thoughts off to focus on the task was more than difficult with everything that had happened, and everything that was still to come; she didn't ask what was wrong either. She wanted to though, mainly because she had a feeling that something was off with him. Which, the more she thought about it, probably had a lot to do with the back and forth between him and Scoria, as well as the loss of Impa. But no matter how curious she was, something told her that it was best to let him be for now.

 

Or that had been the way it worked, up until today. Watching him slip quietly into the room to sit as he had been for the second time that day; Emily held back the sigh wanting to escape her, and moved to sit beside him. Mimicking his posture, and his breathing, she closed her eyes in another attempt to shut everything out. Of course it wasn't working, but then she had a feeling that were he in a talking mood – Sheik would simply say it was because she wasn't really trying. Cracking an eye open to peer over at him, she mentally chided herself over the fact that he'd be right. She really wasn't this time.

 

“Link said the armor is almost complete,” she said, figuring if nothing else she could give him some sort of a conversation. One sided or not, at least she hadn't said anything that might press his boundaries too much when he wasn't in the mood for it. “We should be entering the mountain within a few more days.”

 

He said nothing. Nor did he move an inch short of the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he continued his breathing exercises.

 

“Sheik...”

 

“You should be focusing on your training,” he replied, hushed, and almost a little subdued in comparison to the strict tone he typically took with her when she'd interrupt these sessions. “Now isn't the time for you to question yourself. It is however, the time to strengthen your resolve. Where we are meant to go, with all that we may face – you must be prepared.”

 

“I know that,” she countered, perhaps a little too forcefully. “It's just -” Probably for the better if she just let it go before she said anything stupid. “I thought you'd want to know when we might be heading out, since I somehow doubt you've bothered asking Link himself.”

 

“Ah. Is that all then?” His eyes had opened then, turning towards her to assess her before he simply closed them again. “You are very bad at hiding things from me, Seer. I am fine. Your concern as of late, though well meant, is also unnecessary.”

 

“How did you even know I – Oh forget it.” Sighing that time, her shoulders slumped and she leaned back to hold herself up on the palms of her hands. “Though, I really wish you would stop doing that.”

 

A warm chuckle sounded out from beneath his mask, one he'd wound up attempting to hide by clearing his throat.

 

“You think it's funny?” Shaking her head, mainly because he'd only hummed in response; Emily shifted a leg so she could nudge him with her knee. “Of course you do.” Looking around the room, no longer even bothering to train as her eyes scanned over the various paintings, and intricate carvings that had been done to the stone around them; Emily cocked her head to the side, staring at him. “Why do you do that? I mean, I know by now that you're intent on looking after me, and training me. But the whole mind-reading thing you do is – It's a bit much.”

 

“I can not read minds. I can however sense your distress when it arises. Even were that not the case, and I could indeed look within your mind to openly see your thoughts - Is it not logical that such things as protecting you, and keeping watch over your thoughts are related?” He questioned back. “If you are not in a place where you feel you can move forward, then you will not progress. And if you can not do so, then neither can we. Link is – admittedly strong, and he is intent on fighting back against what dangers we are meant to face. But while he is to be our de-facto-leader, it is _you_ we must ensure reaches the intended goal. For without you, all is lost. In that, it is not just your training to be watchful of, or your physical well-being during a battle. But your mind as well.”

 

“Okay, fair enough I guess,” she said, opting to at least agree with his logic. He did sort of have a point. “I'm just not used to – anyone doing that really. Well, I guess that's not entirely true. I suppose I'm more or less just not used to it outside of - My grandfather would catch on to everything, and Titian certainly can tell if I'm in a mood.”

 

Scoffing, his eyes opened again just to send her what she chose to perceive as a playful glare. “Yes, your horse is also good at that. So good he often emulates it.”

 

“Towards you maybe,” she snarked with a small laugh. “And I still say you earned it with how you chose to introduce yourself.”

 

“Perhaps you're right, Seer. I am certain that if I had asked nicely first, the moblin's in the fields would have simply stepped to the side so that we could be introduced on a more cordial note – then they would have kidnapped us.”

 

“We could have tried offering them snacks,” she suggested with a small grin, all while secretly enjoying the show of his eyes rolling. “It worked with Pan.”

 

“He is still an imp. You do realize of course, that in the case of your dearest little Pan – you are far more lucky than most.” He shook his head at her, unamused by her continued smile. “Skull kids are not something any being should make bargains with, nor even approach.”

 

“There's a story about one,” she said after a minute or two of thinking over his words. “A really sad, and dark, story. Or legend, or – history. Not one from Hyrule itself, some place called Termina, but you know what I mean. It's one that sort of proves your point, outside of knowing they tend to attack adults on sight, and the whole curse aspect. So believe me when I say, I've thought about that. But he's different, he means well, and I won't be unkind to him when he's shown me more kindness than I rightly expected when I first spotted his group in the forest.”

 

“I see.” He shifted a little, posture loosening up just enough to seem – relaxed for once. “And what history, or legend, is that?”

 

“You're really only asking because you like the idea of it proving your point, aren't you?” Laughing softly as he gestured for her to continue, she shook her head. “You'll be disappointed. It doesn't end quite like you'd think, and the little imp really isn't as horrible as you'd like to believe. It's a long story, but if you still want to hear it, then -”

 

A loud knock sounded on the door, pulling their attention away from their conversation, and subsequently leaving Sheik to tighten his posture again as he stood. Link entered a moment later, clad in new armor. The golden plate over his chest glinted brightly from the candles lighting the room, and further accents sparkled as well along his newly acquired armored-cap. But beneath it's shine, sat the red tunic she had anticipated seeing since their wait had begun.

 

“Our armor is ready,” he announced, satchels in each hand. One of which he simply tossed towards Sheik before making his way over to Emily, offering her a hand up from the floor. “Scoria wishes for us to leave tonight.”

 

Standing fully, and taking the satchel offered to her; Emily's eyes hand immediately moved to look past him, catching sight of the small flicker of something within Sheik's eyes that she'd not seen before. Something he'd immediately hid, busying himself with looking through the bag that had been tossed at him. “What? Already? I -” She didn't think any of them would be ready tomorrow, least of all right now.

 

Okay, so she was kind of hopeful it would take a little bit longer. Not that she failed to see how important swiftness was in this situation, but she just wanted to take baby steps into the big temple housed inside of an active volcano. That was reasonable, right?

 

Link, on the other hand, didn't share her trepidation. “We have everything we need. Scoria's seen to it that we have more than enough to take with us. He even sent down a few of his guards to gather more rations for us from Kakariko's hunters, and with the armor finished we can finally enter the temple as planned.”

 

He wasn't wrong. While they had been forced to wait a little longer, mainly due to the differences between forging her armor as opposed to Link and Sheik's own; the goron King had done everything in his power to make sure they had what they'd require. Even if he hadn't, they all knew it didn't matter. In the end, they would have to venture inside it, and face whatever was to be found. She really should have been preparing herself better to face that fact all along.

 

Taking a deep breath, eyes turning back to the satchel in her hands; she forced her fears back down to settle in her gut. She couldn't back out of this, not really, not when it meant the repercussions of doing so would lead to - “Then... let's get going.”

 

“Just one more thing that we do need to take care of,” he hedged, reaching up to scratch the nape of his neck beneath his red hat. “I think it would be best if you spoke to Pan first.”

 

“Any particular reason why?” She asked, arching a brow of curiosity.

 

“He's not very happy right now. He's been following me around most of the time during our stay here, and he knows we're leaving soon. So he -”

 

Sheik chose to take that moment to open the door again, only for all three of them to spot the imp in question racing down the halls past the door with a string of mischievous giggles, and being chased by at least three guards. All of whom were shouting, and toting giant weapons in their angered race after him.

 

Clearing his throat again, the Sheikah looked back to her. “You were right Seer. Clearly, he is indeed very different from those one can hear of in tales, or legends. He means well, and causes no trouble at all.”

 

She could only groan in turn, as Pan's echoing laughter continued to ring out against the stone walls of the halls. “You knew he was causing chaos before you came to see me,” she accused, seeing his eyes smile for him as his mask hid the rest of his features. “Fantastic.”

 

On a positive note, if there was one, at least he was talking again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge apology for the very late chapter update. As mentioned previously I wound up losing a lot of the work I'd done on this story months ago, and it put me in a funk that pretty much ended up being writers block from hell. But, between then and now I have updated a few things art wise, and even uploaded something special – and super early – to kind of make up for it. So here's the link to that, if you'd like to see it.
> 
> http://scribbledincrayon.deviantart.com/gallery/56330847/Book-of-Fate
> 
> Also, Wondering-Souls on Deviant Art decided to take a shot at drawing Emily for practice in her sketch work. Honestly her version looks great, and I wanted to share that as well. So, a thank you goes out to Wondering-Souls for the sketch of Emily. She looks fantastic! ^_^ (And an apology, since I wanted to post this months ago but I couldn't without a new chapter. So, sorry about that.)
> 
> Link to Wondering-Souls sketch here - http://sta.sh/0104cmt421bu
> 
> As for this chapter, hopefully it's not too bad. I really have been trying to get back into the swing of things in writing this. Again, huge apology on the late update. But I didn't want to force myself to write either, if only because I didn't want it to be completely horrible when I finally did get it updated. So, maybe now that I'm not entirely trapped in writer's block hell – This can get more attention, and get back to something of a schedule in terms of updates. 
> 
> Regardless, thanks for reading, and happy 4th!


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